Publication: Biomedical Applications of Nanomaterials: An Overview
Loading...
Date
2013
Journal Title
Bio-Nanotechnology: A Revolution in Food, Biomedical and Health Sciences
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Abstract
Within the short span of a decade, nanotechnology has evolved into a truly interdisciplinary field undergoing rapid expansion, with the promise of new developments in every traditional scientific discipline. At the nanometer scale, the self-ordering forces and properties of materials seem to be different from those at the macroscale. The application of nanotechnology in biomedical fields is one of the major thrust areas that are currently gaining momentum, as all biological systems embody the principles of nanotechnology. The nanoscience tools that are currently well understood and those that will be developed in future are likely to have an enormous impact on biology, biotechnology, and medicine. The comparable size scale of nanomaterials and biological materials, such as antibodies and proteins, facilitates their use in biological and medical applications. The biomedical community has recently discovered that the distinctive physical characteristics of nanomaterials, such as their extraordinarily high surface area to volume ratio, tuneable optical emission, unique electrical and magnetic behavior, and other novel properties can be exploited in a wide spectrum of biomedical utilities ranging from drug delivery to biosensors. Realizing the immense potential of nanomaterials for applications in diverse areas of biology and medicine, we review recent advances in this field and discuss future perspectives. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Description
Keywords
Biocompatible nanomaterials, Biomedical applications, Carbon-based nanomaterials, Metallic nanoparticles, Nanomedicine, Quantum dots, Surface functionalization, Toxicity