There was a time when
serious references to nanites, nanotechnology, nanoprobes, and
nanomedicine would get you an appointment to see the nearest
psychiatrist or at least a ticket to a Star Trek convention, possibly featuring the nanotech prowess of the dreaded Borg. But those
days are past and the science of nanotechnology is no longer science fiction. Proof of the future of nanotechnology came in a big
way last week when NIH-funded researchers at the Burnham
Institute for Medical Research, University of
California, Santa Barbara released a study showing the successful use
of nanoparticles in treating obesity-related health problems in mice.
For those of us not on
the cutting edge of science an explanation of nanotechnology might be
beneficial. Nanotechnology is the study of matter that is 1 to 100
nanometers in size. The properties of matter the scale of a
nanometer have unique qualities not found in the larger sized world
of inches and millimeters. To give you an idea of the size of a
nanometer an inch has 25,400,000 of them. The National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office has produced an
excellent brochure (pdf) on the subject that gives visual examples of the
nanoscale.
The researchers at UC
Santa Barbara were interested in studying the effects of
nanoparticles in combating atherosclerosis. The author of the study,
Erkki Ruoslahti, writes: “Cardiovascular disease affects 1 in 3
people in the United States during their lifetime, and accounts for
nearly a third of the deaths that occur each year. Atherosclerosis
is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease.” The
buildup of plaques in the arterial walls can block blood flow and
cause heart attack and stroke.
Using fat-based
molecules the scientists created spherical nanoparticles called
micelles. The micelles produced were meant to target plaque by
binding themselves to clotted plasma proteins on the arterial walls.
The micelles having been injected with fluorescence for visibility
were introduced into the chubby rodents for 3 hours. The results of the
study were overwhelming. The non-targeted ‘control’ micelles
compared to the targeted micelles were significantly different. The
targeted micelles were “able to specifically target the diseased
vasculature in atherosclerotic mice and concentrate in areas that are
prone to atherosclerotic plaque formation.” What this means is
that physicians can use nanoparticles to deliver “diagnostic and
therapeutic compounds to plaque.”
The implications of
this successful study will have repercussions throughout the medical
world. If a doctor can specifically target diseases or potential
diseases it greatly improves their chances for success. Work is
already being done by the NIH’s National
Cancer Institute using nanoparticles created to be
able to detect cancer at its earliest stages and then deliver
anticancer agents.
Countries across the
globe with the money, infrastructure and scientists have been
studying nanotechnology for years in recognition of its potential.
Thanks to the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act, signed by President George W. Bush in December 2003, this
country fully jumped into the research race with all the accompanying
money and departments. This year the budget from President Obama
allocates $1.64
billion in continued funding.
The research money is
spread between more than two dozen federal agencies with the National
Institute of Health getting about 15%. With smart distribution of
their research dollars the NIH has enough funding to delve deeper
into the exciting potential benefits, while hopefully avoiding the nightmarish potential hazards
of emergent nanotechnology.
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