Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
19.8
CONCLUSIONS
The science and knowledge that the scientific community has today about nanotechnology and its
potential versatile applications are based only on the research work done in the laboratories. These
research studies are being conducted to understand how matter behaves at the nanoscale level. Factors
and conditions governing the behavior of macrosystems do not really apply to the nanosystems. The
major limitations and technological hurdles faced by nanotechnology and its applications in the field
of drug delivery should be addressed. Scientific community has been trying to completely understand
how the human body would react to these nanoparticles and nanosystems, which are acting as drug
carriers. Nanoparticles have larger surface area when compared to their volume. Friction and clump-
ing of the nanoparticles into a larger structure is inevitable, which may affect their function as a drug
delivery system. Due to their minute size, these drug carriers can be cleared away from the body
by the body's excretory pathways. When these are not excreted, larger nanoparticles can accumu-
late in vital organs, causing toxicity leading to organ failure. Recent study in mice revealed that tis-
sue distribution of gold nanoparticles is size dependent, with the smallest nanoparticles (15-50 nm)
showing the most widespread organ distribution including blood, liver, lung, spleen, kidney, brain,
heart, and stomach
[51]
. Liposomes have certain drawbacks, such as being captured by the human
body's defense system. The drug-loading capacity of liposomes is being tested by researchers and
still remains inconclusive. All previous studies resulted in posttreatment accumulation of the nano-
particles in skin and eyes. Gold nanoparticles tend to accumulate in bone joints and organs. Once the
nanoparticles are administered into the human body, they should be controlled by an external control,
preventing them from causing adverse effects. These drug delivery technologies are in various stages
of research and development. A few of these innovative treatment techniques have made their way
into clinical trials. It is expected that these limitations can be overcome and the discoveries to come
into practical use for the treatment of oral cancer within the next 5-10 years.
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