Nanotechnology

Solid lipid nanoparticles were developed in early 1990. A new type of colloidal drug carrier for intravenous administration. Aqueous dispersion of solid lipid or dry powder with ranges between 50 – 1,000 nm and rapidly developed nanotechnology with potential applications in various field of pharmaceutics cosmetic, clinical medicine research mainly focused on drug targeting site and hydrophilic lipophilic carrier and various lipid and surfactant are used phospholipids and poloxamer 188 and triglycerides are used.SLN offer unique properties such as large surface area, small size, high loading. Keywords: Nanotechnology, Drug Carrier, Surfactant, Solid-lipid, Phospholipids.

In every field of life, nanotechnology has an impact. Researchers expend their interests on gold nanoparticles synthesis as they provide superior properties for various types of applications. Different physical and chemical methods have synthesized conventionally nanoparticles that have a negative impact on the environment. Due to their unique properties, small size and high area-to-volume ratio, gold nanoparticles show special advantages in this field among nanoparticles. Because of their inert nature, stability, high dispersity, non-cytotoxicity and biocompatibility, these particles have been widely used in various biomedical applications and drug delivery systems.This paper shows the comparison and survey of all the methods. 

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the commonest cause of dementia. The currently available therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease only act to lower its symptoms. Therefore, the nanotechnology is advancing molecular detection, drug discovery, delivery and monitoring for a number of ever challenging human diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. In this paper, we present the role of nanotechnology in the development and improvement of techniques for early diagnosis and effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The nano diagnostic methods reported and compared in this paper include both of in vitro and in vivo approaches. The nano treatment methods for AD are numerous. They are categorized in this report under neuroprotective methods and nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. Considering that the AD is a multi-factorial disease with several pathogenetic mechanisms and pathways, a multifunctional nanotechnology approach will be needed to target its main molecular culprits.

Nanotechnology belongs to the production and utilization of materials at the nanoscale up to 100nm in size. Nanotechnology is emerging technique has application in biology and biotechnology as well as medical technology. It is expected to provide reasonable products by this technology in various fields of application. Novel nanodevices, nano and bio-materials are fabricated by nanotechnology. Paramagnetic nanoparticles, nanoshells, quantum dots, nanosomes are some of the nanoparticles used in diagnosis. These are the targeted drug delivery system. It provides therapeutically active drug molecule only to the site of action, without affecting other tissues, at comparatively lower doses. The prospective medical applications are in detection, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease. It is effective in the treatment of cancer, tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and heart diseases. The clinical applications are in dentistry, ophthalmology, tissue engineering and surgery are discussed. The purpose is to improve the health by amplifying the safety and efficacy of nanodevices. Nanotechnology will have global impact in the development of future health systems.

Neurodegenerative disorders are conditions in which cells of the brain and/or spinal cord degenerate.  The brain and spinal cord are composed of neurons with different functions such as controlling skilled movements, processing sensory information, storage of information and making decisions. Cells of the brain and spinal cord do not usually regenerate, so damage to the nervous system can be devastating. Normally, the neurodegenerative process begins long before any symptoms appear. Neurodegenerative diseases result from deterioration of neurons or their myelin sheaths which over time will lead to dysfunction and disabilities. Neuro-degenerative diseases markedly affect the lives of millions and lead to a growing public health challenge with increased costs for individuals and society. The prevention and treatment of these neurodegenerative disorders represent a critical goal of medical research today. Most of these disorders increase with age. Today, there are 25 million suffering from dementia and it is generally believed that the prevalence will be 130 million demented persons by 2050. As the human outer skin proved it to be the largest organ of sense of body, that can be potentially used for the delivery of multiple therapy for the successful management of neurobehavioral disorders. Various novel approaches can be introduced for which further study is essential .The focus on this route has not been in limelight till yet. Transdermal drug delivery is helpful for topical and local action of the drug. . For the patients who have difficulties swallowing solids or liquids, a transdermal drug delivery may offer great advantages over conventional delivery methods. Drug delivery directly to the brain interstitium has recently been markedly enhanced through the rational design of polymer-based drug delivery system. After the oral administration of drugs, the huge variations were associated in plasma levels with regular gastintestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, anorexia, abdominal pain and abdominal distention. This drug administration route could therefore allow optimal therapeutic dose, potentially further improving the effectiveness of treatment. The transdermal delivery bypasses the first past metabolism and lesser side effects. This route may be explored for the delivery of nano-sized pharmaceuticals to the CNS as an alternate route.

The growing interest in development of newer technologies to improve human health has lead to emergence of a new field called Nanorobotics. Nanorobotics is a technique in which robots of nanometer scale are created. The term nanorobot is a combination of two terms robot and nanometer. The size of nanorobots ranges from 0.5 to 3 microns in diameter. Synonyms of nanorobots are nanobots, nanoids, nanites, nanomachines and nanomites. The main element used in manufacturing of nanorobots will be carbon in the form of diamond/fullerene nanocomposite because of their strength and chemical inertness. Nanorobots may consist of molecular sorting rotors, propellers, sensors and fins. As nanorobots are of nanometer size, they work simillarly to viruses, bacteria, tumor cells and can be used to fight these threats to human body in coming future. The main feature of nanorobots will be its wide applicability in various fields. They can be used in early diagnosis and treatment of cancer and diabetes. In the field of Dentistry nanorobots can be used for oral analgesia, tooth repair, tooth alignment and diagnosis of oral cancer. Better targeted drug delivery can also be achieved in comparison of conventional devices. Other biomedical applications of nanorobots include breakdown of blood clots and kidney stones, in arteriosclerosis, nerve regeneration, parasite removal, as artificial oxygen carrier etc. The review article aims to provide an early glimpse on the structure, design, types, current scenario and future applications of nanorobots in various fields.

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Treating the cancer is one of the major challenges in modern science as the drug delivery to solid tumors is a seminal challenge to develop more effective cancer therapies. A well-designed drug delivery system can potentially enhance the efficacy of a treatment by improving drug accumulation in the tumor. Application of nanotechnology to prevent and treat the cancer disease is known as nanomedicine. Cancer diagnosis and treatment can be achieved to a greater extent by the application of nanotechnology principles to biomedicine. Over these years targeted treatment for cancer has been greatly improved by the approaches based on nanotechnology. Nanoparticles have the potential to increase the specificity in treating cancer cells while leaving the healthy cells. The goal of this review is to discuss the current state of nanomedicine in the field of cancer detection and the subsequent application of nanotechnology to treat cancer by using nanoparticles such as dendrimers, quantum dots, nanocells, nanocrystals, and nanoshells for the detection and treatment of cancer.

Nanotoxicology is an emerging new multidisciplinary field of science. This new technology deals with measures, manipulates, and manufactures at the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular levels, aimed at creating materials, devices, and systems with fundamentally new molecular organizations, properties, and functions associated with greater strength, stability, chemical and biological activity. They are used in rapidly increasing nanoproducts, nanodevices, electronics, diagnostics and drug delivery systems. They are present in a variety of consumer products such as foods, drugs, cosmetics, food colour additives, food containers, paints and surface coatings. Because of their extremely small size they are capable of entering the human body by inhalation, ingestion, skin penetration, intravenous injections and medical devices, and have the potential to interact with intracellular macromolecules. Because of their greater stability they are anticipated to remain in the body and in the environment for long periods of time. However, information on their potential adverse health effects is very limited at the present time. It is not known at what concentration or size they can exhibit toxicity. Therefore, there are obvious public safety concerns. This has led to the initiation of a new research discipline commonly known as Nanotoxicology. The current review article reveals the concept of Nanotoxicology from nanomedicine and non-medical nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology is the term given to those areas of science and engineering where the phenomena take place at nano-scale dimensions. Nanotechnology deals with particles sized between 1 to 100 nanometers in at least one dimension and it involves developing or modifying materials or devices within that size. Nanoparticles have different physical, chemical, electrical and optical properties than those that occur in bulk samples of the same material. All aspects of life will benefit from the revolution in nanotechnology. Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly produced for use in a wide range of industrial and consumer products. Hundreds of tons of nanoparticles already enter in the environment annually, but still very little is known of their interactions with biological systems. The challenge for toxicologists is to identify key factors that can be used to predict the toxicity, permit targeted screening, safe and sustained development and use of nanoparticles. In order to gain a sustained development, new technology always needs a good balance between benefit and risk. The aim of this paper is to summarize the target organ toxicity of nanoparticles in different biological systems.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is eye catching area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. It involve development of clean, biocompatible, non-toxic and eco-friendly methods for nanoparticles synthesis as compared to conventional method like physical and chemical which are often toxic. In the  present scenario variety of nanoparticles with well-defined chemical compositions, sizes and morphology have been synthesized using different microorganisms and their applications in various cutting-edge technological areas have been explored. This review highlights the recent developments of the biosynthesis mechanisms of different types of nanoparticles using bacteria. Nanoparticles have been used in diagnosis, treatment, drug delivery, medical device coating, wound dressings, medical textiles, contraceptive devices, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory etc. Future prospects for synthesis of nanoparticles using bacteria have also been discussed.