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Nanotechnology for modern medicine: next step towards clinical translation
Author(s) -
Sindhwani Shrey,
Chan Warren C. W.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/joim.13254
Subject(s) - nanomedicine , nanotechnology , medicine , engineering ethics , general partnership , bench to bedside , drug delivery , medical physics , engineering , nanoparticle , business , materials science , finance
The field of nanotechnology has been a significant research focus in the last thirty years. This emphasis is due to the unique optical, electrical, magnetic, chemical and biological properties of materials approximately ten thousand times smaller than the diameter of a hair strand. Researchers have developed methods to synthesize and characterize large libraries of nanomaterials and have demonstrated their preclinical utility. We have entered a new phase of nanomedicine development, where the focus is to translate these technologies to benefit patients. This review article provides an overview of nanomedicine's unique properties, the current state of the field, and discusses the challenge of clinical translation. Finally, we discuss the need to build and strengthen partnerships between engineers and clinicians to create a feedback loop between the bench and bedside. This partnership will guide fundamental studies on the nanoparticle–biological interactions, address clinical challenges and change the development and evaluation of new drug delivery systems, sensors, imaging agents and therapeutic systems.