The development of nanotechnology has made an immediate impact on the medical field. The ability to be able to make precise changes to biological matter, or use chemicals in ways that produce local and micro manipulative results has proven beneficial for medical practitioners. Many of the futuristic treatments and procedures promised by nanotechnology are mainly theoretical and remain in research and development stages. But it is easy to see why researchers and doctors are excited about the potential of nanotechnology based medicines and medical technology. The scale and precision of nanotechnology based engineering and substances allow doctors to treat diseases and medical conditions at a level that avoids harming the rest of the body or introducing chemicals that disrupt the bodies systems. Nanotechnology in medicine, gives doctors a new level of control in their techniques for fighting disease.
Medical researchers have had success using nanotechnology and nanoparticles to develop different medical based applications and treatments. Drug delivery systems, cancer fighting treatments, disease and growth imaging and sensing technology, all have been developed using research into nanotechnology and the behavior of nanoscale changes. The positive effects of these treatments are closely linked to the effectiveness of nanoparticles to act on a local and molecular level. In cancer treatments for example, a traditional chemotherapy method for killing a tumor involves a bodily-wide injection of drugs that can have devastating consequences for the entire body. Nanotechnologies eliminate the risk of adverse drug side effects by providing direct and local treatment and delivery of drugs.
Nanotechnology is also commonly used in medical imaging devices to help diagnose medical conditions and diseases. In the same that nanotechnology can use nanoparticles to deliver medicine in precise and local doses, nanoparticles can also be used as a local contrast. By injecting the nanoparticle into an area of the body and then using a light source to alter the particle and identify the location of cancers and other bodily growths. Using nanotechnologies in local deliveries of drugs and imaging practices is only the first step in the development of nanomedicine. Researchers are working on experimental and visionary applications of nanoparticles for the medical field.
The medical applications of nanotechnology are seemingly endless. Nanotechnology can be used to create non-invasive cancer treatments as well deliver drugs and vaccines in a more efficient and reliable manner.