Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Nano in medicine

Nanotechnologies have already attracted over $3bn of global government funding as part of efforts to enhance a range of disciplines including pharmaceuticals, drug delivery and healthcare monitoring. Advances in nanomaterials, nanostructures and nanosystems are expected to drive the value of the global nanotechnology market to over a trillion dollars by 2015, but many companies are remaining cautious, preferring to monitor developments in academia prior to making substantial investments.
Despite such trepidation, the pharma industry is beginning to adopt nanotools throughout the R&D process to facilitate the high throughput screening of drug repositories, the identification of new drug targets and biomarkers for preclinical and clinical studies and the development of diagnostics and imaging agents. 'Nanotechnology' is a new report published by Business Insights that provides a comprehensive review of nanotechnology and it's role in the development of next-generation nanomedicines. The nanotools and detection systems currently driving nanotechnology are profiled and the applications of nanotechnologies within the R&D process are assessed.
This report measures the impact of nanotechnologies currently being applied to target cancer, cardiovascular disease and CNS disorders and also explores the implementation strategies of leading pharmaceutical, healthcare and nanotechnology start-ups. Use this new report to assess the future of nanotechnology within pharma R&D, identify the innovations driving growth within the market and examine the implementation strategies of leading companies.
Key Findings
-Nano-enabled delivery systems are the fastest growing form of nanotechnology amongst major pharma companies, helping to improve the targeted delivery of old, existing and shelved products. However many companies remain cautious, choosing to monitor the progress of nanotechnology prior to making significant investments.
- Optical imaging tags will help to identify diseases earlier and may avoid the need for expensive, high tech laser-based equipment. Diagnostic imaging of this kind is being increasingly applied to animals in preclinical dosing studies.
- Regulatory authorities are supporting nanotechnologies that can improve the development of pharmaceuticals and diagnostic agents. Many regulatory policies are currently being reassessed to ensure innovation and safety when utilising nanotechnologies.
- Many governments are keen to apply nanotechnology across pharmaceuticals, drug delivery and healthcare monitoring in an effort to reduce R&D costs and enhance levels of productivity.
-Nanomaterials are being utilised to develop more sensitive and specific POC diagnostic and biocompatible implants. Nanowires and cantilever assay systems will expand the market by helping to shift diagnostic tests from central laboratories to point of diagnostics.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Nanotools against cancer

It has proved difficult to channel pharmaceuticals into the brain. A type of cell barrier protects the brain from pathogens and many harmful molecules. This blood-brain barrier also denies access to many therapeutic substances.
Studies have shown that nanoparticles (diameter between 10 and 1000 nm) with distinct surface properties can overcome this barrier.
At the University of Frankfurt am Main, a team headed by Prof. Dr. Jörg Kreuter is successfully working on transfering substances into the brain with the aid of microscopically small plastic spheres.
Magnetic nanoparticles could also be of use in combating cancer, as shown by the so-called magnetic liquid hyperthermia developed by Dr. Andreas Jordan and co-workers at the Charite Hospital in Berlin: Firstly, iron oxide particles are selectively transported into the carcinoma. Then, an alternating magnetic field heats the nanoparticles and thus the cancer cells, which are killed by overheating.