The Promise of Nanomedicine

Nanomedicine is defined as the medical application of nanotechnology to prevent and treat diseases in the human body. Cells and viruses exist at the nanoscale and thus, nanomedicine involves the development of medical applications that work at the most basic scale of the human body. These applications are promising for the safe monitoring and manipulation of biological systems through the use of engineered nanostructures and nanomachines that are compatible with the human body’s molecules and atoms. Potential applications for nanotechnology in the health industry include drug delivery systems, artificial tissues and organs, engineered enzymes, and nanobots that can be programmed and controlled to target individual cells.

The introduction of advanced microscopes and computer-controlled machinery since the 1980s has enabled bioengineers to manipulate the size and shape of prescription drugs and medical devices. For instance, some medications have special coatings that allow magnetic resonance imaging to track their presence in the body. Such applications will be further refined as nanomedicine applications are developed. Other future devices of nanomedicine include nanofilters and nanobots. Nanofilters have potential to be used in artificial organs and allow essential nutrients to pass while blocking other chemicals. Nanobots are still in distant future, but they have great potential to change the medical field significantly. These devices might eventually act as miniature surgeons in our bodies.

All of these potential nanomedicine applications might seem impossible but they are quickly becoming a reality. However, it remains to be seen how societies will accept these new medical applications. Nanomedicine has potentially unintended consequences, including toxicity issues and also involves significant ethical and moral issues. In the distant future, advances in nanomedicine have the potential to unlock the secrets to immortality or at least greatly extend human lifespans.