Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery

Nanomedicine and its Biomedical Applications

Nanomedicine is simply the application of nanotechnologies in a healthcare setting and the majority of benefits that have already been seen involve the use of nanoparticles to improve the behaviour of drug substances. Today, nanomedicines are used globally to improve the treatments and lives of patients suffering from a range of disorders including ovarian and breast cancer, kidney disease, fungal infections, elevated cholesterol, menopausal symptoms, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, asthma and emphysema. The nanomedicines that are currently available are overcoming some of the difficulties experienced by normal medical approaches in delivering the benefit from the drug molecules used. In some cases the drugs have very little solubility in water and the human body struggles to absorb enough to treat the condition.  In other cases, the drug molecule is absorbed well but the body removes the drug before it has had long enough to provide a benefit.  Drugs may lead to side-effects due to poor delivery at the actual site of disease.  For example, drugs that are targeting cancers must avoid healthy tissues and organs or damage can be caused.  Nanomedicines therefore can play an important role in ensuring enough of the drug enters the body, that drug that does enter stays in the body for long periods and is targeted specifically to the areas that need treatment.