Engineered Nanomaterials for Biomedicine: Advancements and Hazards

Abstract

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have immense structural possibilities for chemical, optical, and mechanical modifications to generate novel properties due to their small size, large surface area, and ability to interface/interact with cells/tissues; they find use in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, optical therapeutics, scaffold reinforcements, and cellular sensors. Nanomaterials can mimic surface properties of cells and tissues such as topography, energy, etc. This will pave ways for novel methods of microfabrication and nanofabrication that allow scientists to interact with cellular and molecular systems on their native size scales. Materials at the supramolecular level can be engineered with nanometer precision making use of reversible noncovalent interactions. The surface of therapeutic cells was engineered by a variety of chemical and materials science strategies to enhance the function of therapeutic cells. In this chapter we identify the ways in which the interaction of nanomaterials with biomolecules can be controlled for beneficial biomedical applications. Many challenges have blocked the use of nanomaterials in biomedicine, including potential toxicity and immunogenicity. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight different types of ENMs currently used in biomedical applications and to provide a critical overview of the recent advancements and their potential hazards and drawbacks.