Elucidating the Interactions of Nanomaterials With Biological Systems

Warren CW Chan

NEMB2010-13377, pp. 111-112; 2 pages | DOI: 10.1115/NEMB2010-13377

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing research fields with many applications in biology and medicine. At a heart of nanotechnology research is engineered nanostructures, which possess distinct optical, electronic, and magnetic properties based on their size, shape, and chemical composition. Researchers can now design their surface chemistry with small bi-functional organic molecules or amphiphillic polymers so that they are biocompatible and can be coated with bio-recognition molecules such as antibodies, aptamers, and peptides. Nanoparticles are used as a platform for drug delivery, as a physical trigger for controlling drug release, as a contrast agent for quantifying biological molecules. Thus, the applications of engineered nanostructures are diverse. In this presentation, an overview of the field of nanomedicine is described with an emphasis on results obtained from studying the in vivo interactions of nanostructures as it pertains to their applications in cancer.