Nanotechnology is the engineering of molecular-level functional structures. The field blends elements of physics and molecular chemistry with engineering to take advantage of the unusual properties that exist at the nanoscale. This area offers the opportunity to create a large number of extremely powerful products. Nanotech and Nanomedicine are in their early stages of development. Production processes are closely associated with biotechnology and information technology, making them of a very broad nature. Nanotechnology-based products are capable of overcoming the limitations of traditional methods. However, there are still major obstacles in terms of toxicity, environmental threats, cost of production and connectivity to remote areas.

Nanotechnology and nanomedicine have an outstanding potential to solve several different health problems, including viruses, which are considered a big medical challenge. The use of nanobiotechnology may provide a new avenue for the treatment or disinfection of viruses. Coronavirus regulation, including Middle East coronavirus respiratory syndrome, extreme coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome and extreme coronavirus-2 acute respiratory syndrome, is of rising concern.

Application of Nanotech in Medicine

A Vaccine based on Nanotechnology

Vaccination has been described as one of the most important medical methods used to activate the immune response to infectious diseases. Meanwhile, as nanoparticles have been shown to have immunostimulatory effects, a great deal of attention has been paid to the development of nano-based therapeutic agents or vaccines against various types of coronaviruses. Due to their immunogenic properties, various forms of NPs[1], including gold NPs, spike protein NPs and hollow polymeric NPs, have all been documented to have significant potential to induce an immune response against coronaviruses in animal and in vitro models.

Figure 1: The table below shows us the application of nanotech-based vaccine for Coronavirus. (Accessible in PDF Version) 

Nanosensors for Diagnosing Coronaviruses

The identification of changes in DNA sequences has been shown to play a key role in the early diagnosis and subsequent treatment of genetic-related conditions. The use of nanomaterials in coronavirus detection has some benefits, such as increased sensitivity, detection limit, and time of the study. Nanoparticles can be used for colorimetric coronavirus detection, which is a simple, fast and low-cost process. Gold nanoparticles are good choices for the immunochromatographic[2] strip test to be used in potential coronavirus detection studies. Electrochemical devices could also be good options for detecting new forms of coronaviruses in the future due to their good binding capability with nanomaterials.

Diagnostics and Screening: Fluorescent quantum dots could improve malaria diagnosis by targeting the blood cell’s inner membrane.

Drug Delivery

Nanotechnology may also revolutionize drug delivery by solving issues such as how to sustain drug release in the body and enhance bioavailability — the amount of active ingredient per dose. ‘Nanovehicles’ can be used to deliver some drugs. For example, liposomes that can deliver the drug payload by fusing with cell membranes have been used to encapsulate HIV drugs such as stavudine[3] and zidovudine in vehicles between 120 and 200 nanometres in size. Since both drugs have short half-lives, liposome coatings may theoretically keep them active for longer periods. Some Nano drug delivery systems require the use of fullerene ‘buckyball’ cages and branched nano molecules called dendrimers.

Health Monitoring

Nanotubes and nanoparticles can be used as glucose, carbon dioxide, and cholesterol monitors and for in-situ homeostasis control, a mechanism by which the body maintains a metabolic balance.

Products to Date

PillCam: 1st FDA approved smart pill back in 2001. 2 million procedures had already been conducted using PillCam till 2008.

Dose Tracking Pills: Pill has sensors capable of relaying data using a patch worn by the patient. Drug, dosage and time of the same are tracked using an application.

Vibrant Capsule: They promote contractions to jumpstart digestion. Can be used to treats constipation without using laxatives and/or any side effects.

Amto Gas Capsule: A permeable membrane allows gas to enter the capsule, sensors inside the capsule can detect levels of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Capsule location can be understood depending on the level of oxygen. Gut’s microbiome information can be obtained by understanding the level of carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

MIT’s smart sensor capsules: It can unfold into a Y-shaped and has the capability of temporarily attaching itself to the stomach for as long as a month. Sensors can track vital signs, also the preloaded compartments can be used to release medications whenever required.

Magnetic Micro Surgery using NanoBots: Performing eye surgeries, clearing blocked arteries, collecting biopsies.

DNA origami: Bots targets only cancer cells without harming healthy cells or tissues. Significant changes/results can be seen in as early as two weeks.

The Application of Nanotechnology in Medicine

The commercial demand for nanotechnology-based medical and pharmaceutical products (nanomedicine) was forecast to develop at a CAGR of 16.3 percent to cross a total of USD 528 billion in 2019, as seen in the figure below.

Figure 2: Global Nanomedicine Market Size (Accessible in PDF Version) 

Global investment in nanotechnology is expected to be close to USD 4 trillion, with both China and the US spending more than USD 2 billion.

Application markets

• Pharmaceuticals: Nanoparticles (cellulose) for biomedical applications, CAGR of 94% 2016-2021.

Diagnostics:

• Aids for detection and biomedical markers, CAGR of 43.5% 2016-2021.
• Transfection Reagents, CAGR of 39.3% 2016-2021.
• Liquid Chromatography (Nano)-High performance, CAGR of 8.1% 2016-2021.
• Reagents (Contrast) for MRI, CAGR of 3.6% 2016-2021.
• Drug delivery vehicles, CAGR of 7.1% 2016-2021.

Challenges

• Environment impact: The impact that the nanomaterials would have on the environment is not yet crystal clear and hence more research would be required to address this question.
• The accumulation of Nanotech in living tissue or organs
• Affordability of nanotech products and how the products will be manufactured at a massive scale.
• Regulations: Ambiguity of regulations and hence need to be addressed clearly. For example under FDA[1], a smart pill would be considered at drug or device. It would be very difficult to make guidelines and regulations as products in the field can be drug, device, or a combination of both.

Public Acceptance of Nanotech for Healthcare

In developed countries, nanomedicine poses similar ethical concerns to genetically modified crops. The invisible nature of nanotechnology makes it easier to ‘hide’ nanotechnology products and violate the privacy or enforce procedures that require consent without the knowledge of the patient. This may be especially pertinent about clinical trials of Nano drugs carried out in developing countries.

According to a survey, 55% of Americans say that researchers should avoid playing God with new technologies. You can see that more than half believe that nanotech in medicine is not good. On the contrary, 88% of Americans favor research in Nanotech in medicine for enabling the blind to see by using artificial light, which would need the video to brain link involving nanotech.

Conclusion

The public acceptance of the technology would have resistance unless they see actual evidence of the progress of the research and developments in this field. The change from conventional medicine to this field is not only quite different but also completely new and with it comes new challenges. That being said the field of medicine has been penetrated by all technologies and now nanotechnology would be a revolution.

Glossary

[1] NP: Nanoparticles, Eosinophils, also referred to as eosinophils or, less generally, acidophils, are a type of white blood cells and one of the immune system components responsible for fighting multicellular parasites and some vertebral infections.CD4 + T cells:Key cells of the adaptive immune system that use T cell antigen receptors to detect peptides that are produced in endosomes or phagosomes and are shown on the host cell surface bound to major histocompatibility complex molecules, Homeostasis: It is a stable state of internal, physical and chemical conditions preserved by the living systems.

[2] Immunochromatographic studies are primarily based on the capture of the target antigen from different specimens.

[3] Stavudine: It is Marketed under the brand name Zerit, among others, is an antiretroviral drug used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

[4] The United States Food and Drug Administration is a government department of the Ministry of Health and Human Services.