Question #f7bbd

1 Answer
Jun 30, 2016

1 ) Imaging
2) Drug delivery
3) Nanotechnology-on-a-chip
4) Purification process
5) Implants and orthopedics

Explanation:

1) Imaging
Nanoparticles of cadmium selenide (quantum dots) glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. When injected, they seep into cancer tumors.

In photodynamic therapy, a particle is placed within the body and is illuminated with light from the outside. The light gets absorbed by the particle and if the particle is metal, energy from the light will heat the particle and surrounding tissue.

Nanotechnology is also used to make better contrast agents for imaging , allowing for earlier and more accurate diagnosis of diseases.

2) Drug delivery
Drug delivery systems, can either be based on nanoparticles, liposomes (lipid-based), and dendrimers (polymer based like Poly(amidoamine), or PAMAM) are some nanomaterials. Drugs can be created that can pass through cell membrane. Apart from that, drugs that are not stable inside blood plasma can be encapsulated.

For example, Doxorubicin is ecapsulate in liposome (PEG) inside a pharmaceutical product called Doxil. Doxil is used to treat ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma

3) Nanotechnology-on-a-chip
This is one more dimension of lab-on-a-chip technology. Nanoparticle can measure molecules by molecules and it is useful to detect antibody and proteins produced by cancer cell.

In research, nanotechnology is also used to improve DNA sequencing techniques .

4) Purification process
Iron oxide particles can be attached to ligands that can attach to contaminant. Being ferromagnetic, these particles can be removed via application of magnetic field

5) Implants and orthopedics
Nanotechnology is used to improve the materials used for implants and orthopedics . The objective is to make them more compatible and long lasting.

Sources and further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanomedicine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloidal_gold#Drug_delivery_system