2. INTRODUCTION OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY:
Nanotechnology is the technology of manipulating materials of an
atomic or molecular scale especially to built microscopic devices.
Physicist Richard Feynman is the father of nanotechnology.
Pharmaceutical nanotechnology is the exciting, rapidly emerging
branch of medical science that deals with harnessing nanoscale materials
as drug delivery and/or diagnostic tools.
3. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY?
Nanoscience and nanotechnology involve the ability to
see and to control individual atoms and molecules.
Nanotechnology is the technology manipulate
nanoparticles having less than 100 nm
4. HOW NANOTECHNOLOGY IMPROVES
CANCER THERAPY
Nanotechnology enhances chemotherapy and reduces its
adverse effects by guiding drugs to selectively target
cancer cells. It also guides the surgical resection of
tumours with higher levels of accuracy and enhances the
efficacy of radiotherapies and other current treatment
options. The result is decreased risk to the patient and
enhanced survival probabilities.
NANOTECHNOLOGY ON ONCOLOGY RESEARCH
5. CONT..
Researchers are developing novel therapeutics with newly discovered
nanoparticles that have novel properties to be leveraged in medical science.
While tiny in size, nanoparticles encapsulate small pharmaceutical
compounds. The relatively large surface area of nanoparticles allows them
to be decorated with ligands, strands of DNA and RNA, peptides, or
antibodies. These ‘add-ons’ give the nanoparticle additional functionality
that enhances the therapeutic effect or helps direct a nanoparticle to a
specific location.
As a result, nanoparticles facilitate combination drug delivery, multi-
modality treatment, and “theranostic,” action (combined therapeutic and
diagnostic). The energy absorption and re-radiation properties of
nanoparticles also allows them to improve laser ablation and hyperthermia
applications, which disrupt diseased tissue.
6. MAJOR APPLICATION OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN ONCOLOGY
DELIVERY OF DRUGS
TARGETED THERAPY
ENHANCING IMMUNOTHERAPY
WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY
NANOTECHNOLOGY AND
RADIOTHERAPY
7. DELIVERY OF DRUGS
The primary use of nanotechnology in oncology is within
the delivery of drugs. Much research has shown that
nanotechnology has successfully been used to design multiple
systems that improve the pharmacokinetics of a pharmaceutical
and reduce the related toxicities. These systems limit the adverse
events of the drugs and augment a patient’s survival chances.
They also allow chemotherapies to be more selective as they
help deliver the drugs to the specific tumour tissues. These
methods involve the development of nano-sized carriers that
encompass and deliver the drug to its target.
8. CONT..
There are numerous examples of these types of systems. One
recent methodology has been used to increase the efficacy of
chemotherapy drugs used to treat bowel cancer. The results of
clinical trials suggested that the nanoparticle delivery system
could help increase survival rates of bowel cancer, the third
most common cancer in the world, by helping the delivery of
chemotherapy drugs directly to the diseased organs. In studies
with animals, the system was proven to be effective at
delivering Capecitabine (CAP) to the diseased cells while
bypassing healthy cells. This reduced toxic side effects and
enhanced the efficacy of tumour reduction activity.
9. CONT..
Recent research has demonstrated the efficacy of nano-sized
carriers in delivering alternative, herbal-based therapeutics.
Scientists have created a novel targeted therapy to treat triple-
negative breast cancer (TNBC) that utilizes nano-carriers to
help deliver gambogic acid (GA), a Chinese medicine
compound, to specific targets. Studies have shown that the novel
methodology was effective at enhancing the anti-cancer effect of
GA and limiting damage to healthy tissue. As a result, the use of
GA may emerge as a more effective therapeutic option for the
treatment of TNBC.
10. TARGETED THERAPY
Nanoparticle that carry targeting molecule with drug gives targeted
delivery
Tumour specific targeted drug delivery leads to accumulation of drug
in the tumour region and decreases the drug leakage into other
healthy organs. This approach increases treatment efficacy, while
decreasing adverse effects
11. ENHANCING IMMUNOTHERAPY
WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY
Another encouraging area of nanotechnology in oncology is
its use in enhancing immunotherapy. To help boost the
immune system’s efficacy against cancer, nanotechnology is
being leveraged to manage the spatiotemporal control of the
immune system. The idea is that naturally, the immune system
is spatiotemporally controlled. Therefore, to work effectively,
therapies that impact the immune system should also be
spatiotemporally controlled. Recent research has
demonstrated that nanoparticles and biomaterials allow
scientists to control the delivery, pharmacokinetics, and
location of immunomodulatory compounds, generating
responses that cannot be elevated by administering the
same compounds within a solution.
12. NANOTECHNOLOGY AND
RADIOTHERAPY
Radiotherapy is administered to around half of cancer
patients at some point during their treatment. Radiotherapy
is effective at reducing the size of tumours by exposing
them to high-energy radiation, however, this radiation can
also damage healthy cells. Scientists have been working on
enhancing the effect of radiotherapy, as well as developing
novel externally applied electromagnetic radiation. As a
result, it is possible that the combination of nanotechnology
and radiotherapy may produce more effective results than
radiotherapy alone.
13. FUTURE IMPACT !!
Nanotechnology has the potential to become a more significant
revolutionary force for business than the industrial revolution or the
information technology revolution.
In fact, many believe that the combined impact of both the industrial
and information revolution may approach the magnitude of change that
could result from the commercialization of Nanotechnology.
Currently, Nanotechnology is moving from the basic research stage of
its evolution into the applied research stage of technology maturity.
Today there are several Nanotechnology companies already being
traded on the public marketplace.
As this technology evolves and matures, you can expect to see many
more companies enter this space.
14. CONCLUSION
Pharmaceutical nanotechnology offers new tools, opportunities and scope, which are
expected to have a great impact on many areas in disease diagnostics and therapeutics. Few
nanotechnology based products and delivery systems are already in market.
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