Nanotechnology Crucial in Fighting Infectious Disease

Summary posted by Meridian on 4/3/2009
Source: The Lancet
Author: Kelly Morris

The article, in the April 2009 The Lancent Infectious Diseases, highlights research being conducted using nanotechnology to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases. Saying that progress in this field is moving at an exponential pace, the author quotes Karin Forsberg-Nilsson, chair of the EuroNanoMed Network Steering Committee, as urging industrial players to collaborate more closely with scientists and clinicians, to shorten the delay from patents to patients. Forsberg-Nilsson says that such cross-disciplinary networks are essential and "an advantage to further the field beyond hype to implementation." The article details some of the areas where nanomedicine is having a profound impact on infectious disease, from lab-on-a-chip technology, which should reach the market within a few years, to nanotechnology-based microbicides against HIV, which are now in early clinical trials. Nanotechnology-based vaccines for hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and HIV are also in the works, as are antibacterial coatings for surfaces and materials. Blood-purification devices, also based on nanotechnology, are in the animal testing phase and will move to clinical trials soon. These devices could be used to treat patients with septic shock. Clinical trials are expected to start later this year for using nanotechnology to develop more potent immune cells that can help fight HIV. The article says safety issues are a concern when it comes to nanotechnology and medicine, but, according to Christine Peterson, vice president of the Foresight Institute, "... nanotech will be like biotech with respect to ethical or toxicity issues: the public is more tolerant regarding medical uses than for uses in less-critical applications...in the longer term, nanotechnology-based treatments are the most promising pathway for tackling infectious diseases." The article may be viewed online at the link below.

As tagged by Meridian Institute:

Related Forums:

NDN Home

Manage Subscription

Search News Archives

Nanotechnology Quintuples Heating Capacity of Solar Water Heaters -- Renewable Energy Magazine (9/1/2010) Researchers at the University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, have developed a solar heating system that uses nanotechnology to heat water to five times the temperature of a conventional system, while also permitting the collector surface area to retain up to 98 percent of heat from solar radiation. [More]

Pakistan's Science Minister Attacks Funding Cuts -- SciDev.Net (9/1/2010) The Pakistan government has cuts its funds for the Pakistan Ministry of Science and Technology's 2010-2011 budget by almost half, causing the science minister, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, to criticize his own government. [More]

Nanotechnology: Small wonders -- Nature (9/1/2010) This article takes an in-depth look at the United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)'s first 10 years - to find out where the money went and what the initiative plans to do next. [More]

Nanotech on Farmers' Fields -- Silicon Nutrition (8/31/2010) A plant nutrition study that addresses nano-sized plant nutrients is now available from the Landbouwkundige Uitgeverij G.C. van den Berg (Veenendaal, The Netherlands). [More]

More News...

Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here.

Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.








our team contact us site map	Nanotechnology Crucial in Fighting Infectious Disease Summary posted by Meridian on 4/3/2009 Source: The Lancet Author: Kelly Morris The article, in the April 2009 The Lancent Infectious Diseases, highlights research being conducted using nanotechnology to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases. Saying that progress in this field is moving at an exponential pace, the author quotes Karin Forsberg-Nilsson, chair of the EuroNanoMed Network Steering Committee, as urging industrial players to collaborate more closely with scientists and clinicians, to shorten the delay from patents to patients. Forsberg-Nilsson says that such cross-disciplinary networks are essential and "an advantage to further the field beyond hype to implementation." The article details some of the areas where nanomedicine is having a profound impact on infectious disease, from lab-on-a-chip technology, which should reach the market within a few years, to nanotechnology-based microbicides against HIV, which are now in early clinical trials. Nanotechnology-based vaccines for hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and HIV are also in the works, as are antibacterial coatings for surfaces and materials. Blood-purification devices, also based on nanotechnology, are in the animal testing phase and will move to clinical trials soon. These devices could be used to treat patients with septic shock. Clinical trials are expected to start later this year for using nanotechnology to develop more potent immune cells that can help fight HIV. The article says safety issues are a concern when it comes to nanotechnology and medicine, but, according to Christine Peterson, vice president of the Foresight Institute, "... nanotech will be like biotech with respect to ethical or toxicity issues: the public is more tolerant regarding medical uses than for uses in less-critical applications...in the longer term, nanotechnology-based treatments are the most promising pathway for tackling infectious diseases." The article may be viewed online at the link below. The original article may still be available at www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(09)70100-8/full... As tagged by Meridian Institute: Health And Medical: Diagnostics, Devices, Diseases Implications: Human Enhancement, Human Health Risks, Governance, Environmental Risks, Economic Competitiveness, Ethics Nanomaterials: Carbon Nanoparticle, Metal Nanoparticle, Naturally Occurring Regions: Europe Stakeholders: Government, Industry, NGO, Academia, International Institutions Related Forums: Health and Medical Human Health Risks and Worker Safety Environmental Risks Economic Competitiveness Governance Ethics print format	NDN Home Subscribe Manage Subscription Search News Archives Nanotechnology Quintuples Heating Capacity of Solar Water Heaters -- Renewable Energy Magazine (9/1/2010) Researchers at the University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, have developed a solar heating system that uses nanotechnology to heat water to five times the temperature of a conventional system, while also permitting the collector surface area to retain up to 98 percent of heat from solar radiation. [More] Pakistan's Science Minister Attacks Funding Cuts -- SciDev.Net (9/1/2010) The Pakistan government has cuts its funds for the Pakistan Ministry of Science and Technology's 2010-2011 budget by almost half, causing the science minister, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, to criticize his own government. [More] Nanotechnology: Small wonders -- Nature (9/1/2010) This article takes an in-depth look at the United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)'s first 10 years - to find out where the money went and what the initiative plans to do next. [More] Nanotech on Farmers' Fields -- Silicon Nutrition (8/31/2010) A plant nutrition study that addresses nano-sized plant nutrients is now available from the Landbouwkundige Uitgeverij G.C. van den Berg (Veenendaal, The Netherlands). [More] More News... Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here. Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.