Nanotechnology and Cancer

Nanotechnology and Cancer

By Parmu Malika

Nanotechnology is the study and creation of structures at a molecular level; the engineering of complex machines at the level of molecules, which can only be measured in nanometers, one nanometer being about a billionth of one meter. To illustrate, the size of one strand of human hair is between 50,000 and 100,000 nanometers.

Research in the field of nanotechnology has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few years, though the technology is still only in its nascent stage. It has found usage in every possible field including electronics, power generation and biomedical devices. The possible applications of nanoscale devices in the field of medicine are mind-boggling and make one wonder if they are caught in the middle of a science fiction movie. Let us explore the possibilities opened up by nanotechnology in one particular aspect of the vast field of medicine, namely, the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Why Nanotechnology in Cancer?

As discussed before, nanoscale devices can only be measured at the molecular level; they are in fact, between a hundred to ten thousand times smaller than an average cell in the human body. Their size can be compared to naturally occurring molecules such as enzymes, which are known as biomolecules. To illustrate, the size of hemoglobin, the molecule that is responsible for delivering oxygen to the red blood cells in our body, is around 5 nm in diameter.

Nanoscale devices that measure less than 50 nm are small enough to enter most of the cells in the human body, while those smaller than 20 nm can move in and out of blood vessels. Due to their extremely small size that allows them to move in and out of various areas of the human body, nanoscale devices are capable of effortlessly interacting with various biomolecules that exist on the surface of, as well as inside the cells. And, since all biological processes, most importantly those that have been found to lead to various types of cancer, occur inside cells at a nanoscale level, nanotechnology is equipping cancer researchers with incredible new ways to detect and deliver treatment for cancer that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

The Possibilities

Nanotechnology is aiding the development of various nanoscale devices that can help bring a radical change in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It is helping to develop imaging agents and other diagnostic tools that can help accurately pinpoint the development of cancer at the earliest possible stage. It can lead to the development of nano-agents that are capable of scrutinizing changes in the molecular level and help in the prevention of malignancy of pre-cancerous cells.

Nano systems that can offer real-time assessment of the efficacy of treatment procedures such as surgery, thereby assuring accelerated and accurate clinical translation are also being researched upon. Another hot area of nano research is the development of multifunctional nano devices that are capable of overcoming biological barriers and gaining direct access to cancer cells and the surrounding tissues that aid in the development of cancer to deliver multiple therapeutic agents for efficient and targeted treatment. Research is also on to develop suitable nano techniques that will assist in the management of the adverse symptoms of cancer.

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