Scientists develop way to successfully give nanoparticle therapeutics orally

Scientists develop way to successfully give nanoparticle therapeutics orally

Findings will allow for more targeted, convenient drug delivery to treat chronic diseases, like diabetes

Boston, MA – Pop a pill or be poked by a needle? Being able to orally deliver microscopic particles—know as nanoparticles—loaded with medicine is a simple, convenient way to treat patients for various diseases, such as cancer or diabetes. But so far, nanoparticles can only be given via injection since they have trouble being readily absorbed by the intestine, which limits their usefulness.

[caption id="attachment_180" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Scientists develop way to successfully give nanoparticle therapeutics orally[/caption]

Now a study led by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the first to report in the field of nanomedicine a new type of nanoparticle that can be successfully absorbed through the digestive tract. The findings may one day allow patients to simply take a pill instead of receiving injections.

The study will be published online November 27, 2013 in Science Translational Medicine.

The nanoparticles developed by the researchers are decorated with antibodies that attach to receptors found on the cell surfaces that line the intestines. Once attached, the nanoparticles gain entry past the cellular barriers in intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. According to the researchers, this type of drug delivery could also be useful in developing new treatments for conditions such as high cholesterol or arthritis.

"The novelty of actively being able to transport targeted nanoparticles across cell barriers can potentially open up a whole new set of opportunities in nanomedicine," said Omid Farokhzad, MD, director of the BWH Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials, senior study author. "The body has receptors that are involved in shuttling proteins across barriers, as is the case in the placenta between the mother and fetus, or in the intestine, or between the blood and the brain. By hitching a ride from these transporters the nanoparticles can enter various impermeable tissues."

Until recently, after being injected into the body, nanoparticles travelled to their destination, such as a tumor, by seeping through leaky vessels. The research team, led by Farokhzad and Robert Langer, ScD of MIT, developed nanoparticles that could reach the target site without relying on injection nor leaky vessels.

For nanoparticles to be taken orally they need to cross the intestinal lining. This lining is composed of a layer of epithelial cells joined together to form impenetrable barriers called tight junctions. To ensure that the nanoparticles could cross these barriers, the researchers took a cue from research on how babies absorb antibodies from their mothers' milk. The antibodies would grab onto a receptor, known as neonatal Fc receptors, found on the cell surface. This gave them access across the cells of the intestinal lining into neighboring blood vessels.

Based on this knowledge, the researchers decorated nanoparticles with Fc proteins that targeted and bound to these receptors, which are also found in adult intestinal cells. After attaching to the receptors, the Fc-protein-decorated nanoparticles—toting their drug payload—are all absorbed into the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream at a high concentration.

According to the researchers, these receptors can be used to transport nanoparticles carrying different kinds of drugs and other materials—a feat that combines a versatile vehicle and an easily accessible passageway across cellular barriers.

To demonstrate how transport of Fc-targeted nanoparticles could impact the clinical space, the researchers focused on a diabetes treatment scenario, showing how oral delivery of insulin via these targeted nanoparticles could alter blood sugar levels in mice.

Insulin carried in nanoparticles decorated with Fc proteins reached the bloodstream more efficiently than those without the proteins. Moreover, the amount of insulin delivered was large enough to lower the mice's blood sugar levels. Aside from insulin, the researchers note that the nanoparticles can be used to carry any kind of drug to treat many diseases.

"Being able to deliver nanomedicine orally would offer clinicians broad and novel ways to treat today's many chronic diseases that require daily therapy, such as diabetes and cancer," said Langer. "Imagine being able to take RNA or proteins orally; that would be paradigm shift."

In terms of next steps, the researchers are working to enhance the nanoparticles' drug-releasing abilities to prepare for future pre-clinical testing with insulin and other drugs. They also plan to design nanoparticles that can cross other barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, which prevents many drugs from reaching the brain.

"If you can penetrate the mucosa in the intestine, maybe next you can penetrate the mucosa in the lungs, maybe the blood-brain barrier, maybe the placental barrier," said Farokhzad.

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This research was supported by the Koch-Prostate Cancer Foundation Award in Nanotherapeutics; National Cancer Institute Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence at MIT-Harvard; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology Award, National Institutes of Health (HHSN268201000045C, EB000244, EB015419-01, DK53056).

Lead authors of the paper are former MIT graduate student Eric Pridgen and former BWH postdoc Frank Alexis. Other authors are Timothy Kuo, MD, BWH Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine; Etgar Levy-Nissenbaum, Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials, BWH Department of Anesthesiology; Rohit Karnik, PhD, MIT; and Richard Blumberg, MD, chief, BWH Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy.

The researchers disclose financial interests in BIND Therapeutics, Selecta Biosciences, and Blend Therapeutics, which are developing nanoparticle therapeutics.

Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare. BWH has more than 3.5 million annual patient visits, is the largest birthing center in New England and employs nearly 15,000 people. The Brigham's medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in patient care, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, and its dedication to research, innovation, community engagement and educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, more than 1,000 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by nearly $650 million in funding. For the last 25 years, BWH ranked second in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) among independent hospitals. BWH continually pushes the boundaries of medicine, including building on its legacy in transplantation by performing a partial face transplant in 2009 and the nation's first full face transplant in 2011. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative. For more information and resources, please visit BWH's online newsroom.

The Future of Medicine : Nanotechnology and Micro-Computers

Incredible Cutting-Edge Medical Technology: The Future of Medicine

Author: Joel Gray

We have entered the second decade of the twenty-first century. Today, affordable smart phones are widespread, computer game graphics look almost life-like, computer animation is almost indistinguishable from actual footage, remote-controlled drones patrol the skies, and Google maps provide street views of practically any city on Earth. What’s more, every year, the storage capacity of the average computer hard drive increases along with the computing power. We are living on the threshold of what could be a highly advanced future.

Along with the computer technology, medical technology is also advancing rapidly. Micro-computers, bionic limbs, artificial organs, nanotechnology, and lab-grown organs can potentially improve the quality of human life and change modern medicine. Such changes may take some time to be fully realized, but they are in their infancy today.

[caption id="attachment_150" align="aligncenter" width="467"] The Future of Medicine - Nanotechnology and Micro-Computers[/caption]

Micro-Computers and Nanotechnology

Micro-computers are a fascinating concept, and, until fairly recent years, they were only just a concept. But, today, the concept has become a reality. The phrase “worth your weight in salt” does not apply to micro-computers. One such computer that has actually been manufactured is smaller than a grain of salt (4). Professors Dennis Sylvester and David Blaauw, from the University of Michigan, have created a tiny, millimeter-long computer that contains a battery, a central processing unit (CPU), sensors, a tiny radio emitter, and electronics for powering the chip (4). The tiny computer is powered by light, requiring 10 hours of indoor lighting or 1.5 hours of sunlight exposure (4). The device is designed for being inserted into the eyeballs of glaucoma victims. It collects data with sensors and transmits the data through a radio wave (4). If there is too much internal pressure, the chip will transmit the data to medical professionals who will know what to do with the patient. Regarding this incredible technology, Sylvester said, “This is the first true millimeter-scale complete computing system. Our work is unique in the sense that we're thinking about complete systems in which all the components are low-power and fit on the chip. We can collect data, store it and transmit it. The applications for systems of this size are endless” (5).

Another kind of micro-computer is in the process of being developed. Unlike Sylvester and Blaauw’s micro-computer, this one would use DNA for its electrical components. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem a team of scientists has created the first DNA logic gates (3). Like their non-biological counterparts, the DNA logic gates represent one of two possible states, such as the zeros or ones of binary code (3). When one of two inputs was present at a DNA logic gate, the gate fluoresced, giving off light. And, when both of the two inputs or neither were present, the gate ceased fluorescing. This is similar to how a computer logic gate works. The DNA logic gates, when connected together and injected under the skin, may be able to form a biological-based computing system that can detect, diagnose, and treat common sicknesses or medical conditions (3).

Speaking of computers, a fairly new technology field has been gaining ground in recent years. Ever since Don Eigler of IBM spelled out “IBM” with 35 individual xenon atoms in 1989 (13), nanotechnology has been making many breakthroughs. Unlike most technology, which is easily visible to the unaided eye, nanotechnology deals with components much smaller than the head of a pin. Instead of being measured in meters, these components are measured in nanometers. To get a picture of how small this is, a billion nanometers can fit in one meter. Some examples of nanotechnology already in use would include carbon nanotubes (made out of billions of individual carbon atoms). These are currently being used to give extra strength to mountain bikes, golf club, and other high-end sporting equipment (7). Because they are composed entirely of carbon atoms, carbon nanotubes are used in water purification systems. Carbon, which is found in filters and diamonds, is good at attracting impurities and has a strong bonding arrangement.

Nanotechnology also has great promise for the future of medicine. One application of nanotechnology to the medical field is through the use of nanobots--microscopic machines made out of molecules--for fighting infection. Researchers at the Southwest UK Paediatric Burns Centre at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol have teamed up with scientists at the University of Bath to develop a “dressing” that kills pathogens (such as bacteria) by releasing antibiotics from “nanocapsules” (12). The harmful bacteria produce toxins which eat through the “nanocapsules”, releasing antibiotics (12). If this is perfected, the way doctors treat diseases may change. A patient may find that all he or she needs to do to recover from an illness is to simply swallow a pill: a pill filled with “nanocapsules”. Some other possibilities for nanotechnology in medicine might include nanobots for repairing damaged cells, nanobots for accelerating bone repair, and nanobots for killing cancer cells (14). Yes, you read it correctly, nanotechnology is thought to be a possible cure for cancer.

Bionics

Nanotechnology also has another application in the developing area of medical technology called bionics. Imagine that you lose both your hands. Now, you are unable to work or do a lot of the things you enjoy. But, there is no need to worry. All you have to do is purchase an i-LIMB and have it installed. It sounds like it could be something made by Apple along the same lines of an iphone or ipod, but the i-LIMB is not another phone or portable computer. It is a prosthetic, robotic hand, created by Touch Bionics, that allows users to pick up a variety of objects, including glasses, playing cards, and suitcases. It works by detecting tiny electrical signals from arm muscles to control the movements of its individual, robotic fingers, wrist, and thumb (11). Bionic legs that work in a similar way to the i-LIMB are also on the market.

Besides prosthetic limbs, bionic technology offers replacement hearts, lungs, eyes, ears, and the potential for much more. Since we don’t have time to delve into all these unique and cutting-edge technologies, let’s take a look at the bionic eye. The Argus II, an amazing device created by Second Sight, a California-based company, allows the blind to see once again, albeit with limited vision. According to Robert Greenberg, president and CEO of Second Sight, "Patients can locate and recognize simple objects, see people in front of them, and follow their movement. They can find doors and windows, follow lines, and in the best cases read large print slowly” (6). This limited amount of sight comes with a cost: 115,000 U.S. dollars (6). It makes use of an array of electrical photoreceptors that stimulate retinal cells at the back of the eye, which then send a signal through the optic nerves to the brain. A wireless signal is transmitted from a camera built into a pair of glasses, worn by the patient, to a chip implanted near the retina (6). Besides having limited seeing capabilities, the Argus II only works for people who have a rare disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which only damages light-sensing photoreceptors and leaves the other retinal cells alone (6). The Argus II is currently only available in a number of clinics in the U.K., France, and Switzerland (6). If you live in the United States and you have retinitis pigmentosa, you’ll have to hop on a plane and have over 115,000 dollars at your disposal. For most, this is far too costly. Perhaps, as the technology is refined, it will become cheaper and more available to the general public.

Pretend that you had a healthy eye, but your optic nerve was damaged. Is there any way to repair the damaged nerve? We have looked at bionic hands and mentioned bionic legs, but is there such thing as a bionic nerve? Surprisingly, the answer is “yes”. Scientists at the University of Manchester have converted adult fat-tissue stem cells from animals into nerve cells (2). Their goal is to make an artificial nerve to replace damaged nerves or nerve sections. Soon, they will be collecting adult stem cells and will try to convert them into nerve cells. They plan to make a “bionic” nerve by inserting the converted stem cells into a biodegradable polymer tube, which they will then surgically place into a break in a nerve (2). The growing nerve fiber will be able to pass through the tube and connect with the other end of the nerve, repairing the break (2). This “bionic” nerve could replace broken nerves in patients with cancer, in patients who have had tumor surgery, and in patients who have had severe injuries to their limbs (2).

Regenerative Medicine

Re-growing nerve cells is one thing, but re-growing a finger or a limb is another thing entirely. The technology for re-growing fingers and limbs seems like it would belong in a science-fiction novel. But scientists today think that such science-fiction-like ideas are possible with a new type of medicine called regenerative medicine. Though regenerative medicine is currently in its developmental stage, a few amazing breakthroughs have been made. In 2005, a Cincinnati hobby-store owner, Lee Spievack, cut off his finger tip when showing a customer a model airplane (1). His brother, Alan Spievack, who is a medical research scientist, gave him a special powder to sprinkle on his finger. After taking the powder, Lee Spievack was astonished to find that his fingertip was growing back. Four weeks later, it looked as good as new (1). The powder he took was made from a substance called extracellular matrix. It was developed by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine (1). The extracellular matrix powder is made from pig bladders (1), but it does not contain in pig cells (9). Instead, the matrix is composed of proteins, such as collagen (9), and connective tissue, which scientists believe stimulates the regeneration of tissue (1). The function of the extracellular matrix is to form a structure that helps cells generate any given body part (9). All animals have this special structure, as do developing babies (or fetuses). Two-year-olds have even been documented to re-grow missing finger tips with no medical help (9). This amazing framework for cell regeneration has many possibilities for the future of medicine. Some believe that the human body may be able to re-grow entire limbs due to the extracellular matrix. If that were possible, bionic prosthetics may be unnecessary.

Regenerative medicine is not limited to special powders for regeneration. Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University has grown muscle tissue, heart tissue, and a total of 18 different types of tissue in his laboratory (1). He’s even grown a mouse heart (1). Atala is quoted in a New York Times article as saying, “A salamander can grow back its leg. Why can’t a human do the same?” (10). One idea Atala has for replacing damaged organs is to surgically insert a biodegradable scaffolding, containing regenerative cells, into the body (10). The cells will theoretically grow to form the replacement organ and the scaffolding will eventually decompose. If this actually works, replacement organs will no longer need to be taken from organ donors when they’ve died (10). Perhaps, in the future, people could extend their lives by replacing their organs and damaged tissues with lab-grown counterparts, but right now that technology is still experimental.

Extending and improving the quality of life is the whole purpose of modern medicine. This article focused on some of the technologies being developed in three areas of modern medicine. We looked at the role played by micro-computers and nanotechnology and how nanobots could theoretically stop infections. In the area of bionics, we briefly examined some of the bionic technologies scientists are working on, such as the bionic hand. In the last section, we saw how regenerative medicine has allowed people to grow back their finger tips. Finally, we learned that organs and cell tissues are being grown in laboratories with the goal that they will be used to replace or repair natural organs. There seems to be a pattern in the goals set for the future of medicine technology. Scientists, technologists, and thinkers have envisioned a future where medical technology will provide people with a vehicle to live forever. Aubrey de Grey, a biomedical gerontologist believes that sometime in the future, the process of aging will be stopped. He told a Reuters correspondent that there is “a 50/50 chance of bringing aging under…a decisive level of medical control within the next 25 years or so” (8). He added, “And what I mean by decisive is the same sort of medical control that we have over most infectious diseases today” (8). If this prediction is true, we may find ourselves in a very different world from the one we know. Living for an eternity sounds wonderful, but, on our decaying planet, would it really be such a good thing? Aside from the good reasons for the development of medical technology, does it seem at all like some people may be trying to play God? I leave that thought for you to ponder.

Works Cited

(1) Andrews, Wyatt. "Medicine's Cutting Edge: Re-Growing Organs." CBSNews.com. CBS Interactive Inc, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(2) "'Bionic' Nerve To Bring Damaged Limbs And Organs Back To Life." sciencedaily.com. ScienceDaily LLC, 17 Oct. 2007. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(3) Dillow, Clay. "World's First DNA-Based Logic Gates Could Lead to Injectable Bio-computers." Popsci.com. Bonnier Corporation, 2 June 2010. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(4) Eaton, Kit. "Meet the Cutting Edge of Medicine: 1mm Injectable Computers." FastCompany.com. Mansueto Ventures LLC, 22 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(5) Fahey, Mike. "The World’s Smallest Computer Wants To Be Inside Of You." kotaku.com. kotaku.com, 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.

(6) Graham-Rowe, Duncan. "A Bionic Eye Comes to Market." technologyreview.com. MIT, 7 March 2011. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.

(7) Kahn, Jennifer. "Nano's Big Future." NationalGeographic.com. National Geographic Society, June 2006. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(8) Kelland, Kate. "Who wants to live forever? Scientist sees aging cured." Reuters.com. Thomas Reuters, 4 July 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.

(9) Layton, Julia. "Can humans regrow fingers?" health.howstuffworks.com. Discovery Communications, LLC, n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2012.

(10) Parson, Ann. "A Tissue Engineer Sows Cells and Grows Organs." nytimes.com. The New York Times Company, 11 July 2006. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(11) "Rebuilding humans using bionics." Science.org.au. Australian Foundation for Science, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(12) "Revolutionary Medical Dressing Uses Nanotechnology to Fight Infection." sciencedaily.com. ScienceDaily LLC, 7 July. 2010. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(13) Shankland, Stephen. "IBM's 35 atoms and the rise of nanotech." news.cnet.com. CBS Interactive, 28 Sept. 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

(14) "25 Ways Nanotechnology is Revolutionizing Medicine." FutureMedica. FutureMedica, 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

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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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Carbon Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering

Carbon Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering

By Jon F Cook

Carbon nanotechnology is quickly changing our lives like no other time in history. One day carbon nano-materials will enable us to live longer more productive lives through tissue engineering. This will enable us to basically order parts, such as, kidneys, stomachs, hearts, lungs, and even brains. When ever a body part wears out or becomes cancerous it will be replaced by tissue that was engineered through carbon nanotechnology. We will explore some of the amazing things that have already transgressed concerning tissue engineering, what we can look forward to in the future, if this is going against god, and when will it be going to far.

One amazing breakthrough announced recently was the engineering of spinal cord receptor tissue. This is the tissue that is damaged when someone has a spinal cord injury. It is the tissue that sends the messages from the brain down the spinal cord to give instructions on movement. It is thought that through carbon nanotechnology this tissue can be fined tuned and injected into a spinal cord victims area of injury. This tissue may grow and link with the undamaged receptors thus completing the link. With the spinal cord receptor tissue intact it will be able to transmit the messages from the brain for your legs to walk. This is all being developed with carbon nano-materials and nanotechnology.

Other tissue engineering projects now being tested are growing and developing of lung and heart tissue. One day you may be able to have a heart or lungs grown and stored at a tissue farm. When you are in need of a transplant because of disease or a car accident it will be ready for transplant. These tissue engineering farms will rely on carbon nano-materials for the growth and development of transplants. Carbon nanotechnology will become an established and growing field in years to come.

Our life expectancy will change drastically with the use of carbon nanotechnology and tissue engineering. Some people think we may be able to live forever. If you believe in God, as I do, is this going against him. I do not think so. All throughout the bible people are said to live hundreds of years, a good example is Methuselah, who lived to be 969 years old. I also do not think it is us that is creating life, God is giving us exceptionally smart scientists with a drive for knowledge. This knowledge, along with the application of carbon nanotechnology will hopefully benefit all of mankind.

In the future, with carbon based nano-materials and carbon based nanotechnology, will we have stronger, faster athletes? We we be able to tissue engineer hearts and lung that are bigger? Will this create a super race of humans? One with almost super human power like being able to run faster and farther, jump higher, and hit a baseball farther than anyone has ever done. Will athletes be tested for engineered parts, like they are now being tested for steroids. One can only imagine, but with the use of carbon based nanotechnology tissue engineering there may be no limits.

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Nanotechnology is begining to improve our everyday lives – part 2

NanoSense 2 - how Nanotechnology is improving our everyday lives

Author: Prof. Benfield

Continuing our Fantastic Voyage

In the first of these brief articles the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage of 40 years ago was seen emerging as today's scientific discipline 'Nanotechnology'.

Having considered some of the incredible ways that medical science is applying the knowledge of sub-molecular changes to deliver health benefits, this second part in the series links these with materials science and our everyday environments. .

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Citing the development work of Greek scientist Dr Ioannis Arabatzis, it takes a look at some of the products produced by his company, Nanophos SA. Winner of the Gates' foundations' international prize for commercializing scientific research, his efforts to deliver practical benefits to everyday situations through technical excellence and inventiveness are seen as exemplary.

(E)merging building science

Despite the arguments over when and if nanotechnology and in particular nanobots will become available, as the previous article illustrates this is happening. Perhaps this is all the more so in nonmedical areas, which are subject to all sorts of test before they can be applied. This is particularly so in the area of Building Science, which is able to apply the same technology and techniques, but with far fewer restrictions and therefore faster market deliverability.

Based in Greece, 'Nanophos SA' is one company already delivering the benefits of Nanotechnology to address everyday problems in and around the home and other buildings to improve our lives.

Founded by scientist Dr Ioannis Arabatzis, Nanophos SA has developed a number of compounds for treating all kinds of products. Personally recognised by Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, for the innovative nature of their work, NanoPhos and Dr Arabatzis are undoubtedly delivering cutting edge nanotech inventions to improve and add value to a wide range of everyday products.

Protecting and waterproofing surfaces from within

Bricks, concrete, marble and timber are just a few of the items surrounding us in everyday life that are susceptible to surface damage though staining, sunlight, mould and fungus. Unlike other compounds, for instance 2 component or silicon based treatments that create a 'plastic film' on the surface they are applied to, Nanophos SA' SurfaPore® product uses the changed characteristics of nanotechnology to deeply penetrate the pores of these materials and 'dress' them from within.

Instead of sealing off these pores, like the other treatments, they act below the surface to change the cellular structure of the material, enabling it to use chemical forces to repel water and other corroding factors.

Whereas surface barrier films are damaged or worn away by cleaning, abrasion and mechanical wear and tear, this below surface treatment gives truly long lasting protection to any material to which it is applied. Since non-particles do not form polymer chains, they also last longer, with 95% of their original functionality or activity being recorded after eight years.

This enhanced, long lasting protection is due to the unique method developed by SurfaPore to chemically anchor its nanoparticles onto the basic building material.

Avoiding colour change and UV damage

By eliminating the need to create a film or membrane to protect surfaces, SurfaPore® formulations don't change the colour or appearance of the surfaces to which they are applied. They are also more resistant to the 'hard' UV part of solar radiation and so are less susceptible to the yellowing and fade effects of sunlight.

'Breathing' surfaces

One very important advantage of SurfaPore® is that surfaces modified with an appropriate SurfaPore® nanocompound can still 'breathe' after application. What this means is that water vapour can still travel from and to the outside through the natural pores of the material because they are not trapped by a protective film or membrane.

While water itself is blocked from being transferred from the external environment to the inside of the material, moisture that has got into the substrate before application can still freely vaporise and evaporate to the environment, without accumulating behind the building's surface.

As building technologists will readily appreciate, this means that surfaces modified with SurfaPore® remain dry and unchanged in both appearance and mechanical properties. Better still, many building failures, like swelling, cracking and warping are also minimized if not totally prevented.

Next Time

Using SurfaPore® to protect surfaces from stains, moulds, and fungus, how to apply, coverage and other useful 'stuff'.

The SurfaPore® range

With constant research adding to and improving these high tech products, SurfaPore® 'C' is the treatment for cement based surfaces, mortar, grout, stucco and natural or artificial stone, SurfaPore® 'R' is the product for clay based bricks, tiles, terracotta, and pottery, SurfaPore® 'T' is that one to use to protect granite, marble, and porcelain surfaces, while SurfaPore® 'W' provides wide protection for timber and wood based materials.
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Dr Benfield is visiting Professor with University of Wales Newport and CEO of on-line superstore Home & Garden Centre who sell innovative and unusual products, including solid wall insulation and nanotechnology materials.

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Nanotechnology is begining to improve our everyday lives - part 1

How Nanotechnology is begining to improve our everyday lives - part 1

Author: Prof. Benfield

Sci-fi's Fantastic Voyage predicted today's science. From the film in which scientists shrank a and injected a submarine and its crew to save a dying man to even stranger inventions.

Do you remember 'Fantastic Voyage' - the sci-fi film in which scientists shran

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k a submarine and crew, injected them into a dying man , and saved him from certain death before being resized for more adventures?

Scripted by Harry Kleiner in 1966 and novelized for Bantam paperbacks 6 months later by Isaac Asimov, it spawned an animated TV series as well as a Salvador Dali painting. Now, some 40 years later, it is seeing practical application in space and cancer medicine, as well as arguably more prosaic areas like materials science.

Today it is called 'Nanotechnology' and in this series of brief articles we'll be exploring how it is beginning to influence the world around us. It begins by linking medical and building science.

Nanontechnology in a Nutshell

The science of Nanotechnology deals with very, very small structures, usually less than 100 nanometers in diameter. With 1 nanometer being 1 billionth of a meter, you'll get some idea of how small this is by imagining the earth as having a diameter of 1 meter with 1 billion apple pips (seeds) inside it. Or, looked at another way, the dimension ratio between a meter and a nanometer is the same as between earth and an apple.

For the mathematical purists among you 1nm = 10 -09 m, i.e. 1/1,000,000,000 Einstein might have imagined this by building a train wagon in his mind, giving this a length, width and height of 1nm and then fitting this inside a few hundreds of hydrogen molecules.

For scientists and technologists this has special interest because at this size materials reveal unique properties when compared not only with ordinary bulk sized materials, but also their molecules. In essence they take advantages of properties that neither individual molecules nor molecular structures exhibit.

For example, if we could see it a gold nanoparticle deposited on a surface would appear purple, rather than shiny and 'golden' that we presently recognize.

Again, if you can imagine a molecule as having a very small atom at it's core with many electrons spinning around this, all held together by the power of attraction, then you'll get some idea of the scale of things they are working with.

Another example of particular interest to scientists and technologists currently working, or considering working in this area is that of Titanium Dioxide (titania). This is used in paints to give that extremely white, opaque finish. But nanonised titania is completely transparent.

Nanomedicine

Drug discovery, drug delivery and continuing miniaturization are three areas in which medicine has joined our Fantastic Voyage. Long-term, in-vivo diagnostics and more targeted therapy without side effects are on the horizon. Being able to look for drug targets on a cellular rather than multi-cellular, or tissue basis can be much more precise.

Biosensors and molecule probes allow cellular processes to be examined and drug development aimed at molecular targets.

Latest treatment techniques already allow a drug to be put inside a nanoparticle, like a carbon or silicon nanotube. This might also hold antibodies to bind the drug, enabling smaller doses to be delivered direct to the targeted tissue.

Various nanoparticle drug formulations are already being investigated in animal models and early stage clinical studies in humans.

Treating Cancer & Diabetes

Using such nanobots, i.e. vehicles for carrying treatments, radioactive generators are already being injected. Going direct to the infected tissue these give small radiation doses to treat the cancer without all the unpleasant side effects of radiation therapy.

By encapsulating pancreatic cells inside nanoparticles they can be kept alive to secrete insulin without being attacked by antibodies. It's not a cure for diabetes, but does avoid unpleasant injections, delivering the insulin in a natural way.

Brain Tumors and Space Medicine

Neuroscientists are developing nanoparticles to cross the brain-blood barrier and could be treating brain tumors within a couple of years. Meanwhile NASA is pursuing remote diagnostics and treatments for space travelers, like radiation damaged cells. As Cecilia Haberzettl, founder and president of TechnoMed Strategic Partners, recently wrote in Nanotechnology

"When a cell is damaged by radiation it expresses different proteins on its surface. The nanobot would detect those proteins and then repair the cell, either by giving it antioxidants or by enhancing the natural mechanisms of DNA repair by some technique yet to be defined. Or, if the damage is severe, the nanobot could trigger the cell to die. All of that could happen while the astronauts are up in space, while avoiding communication delays due to the distance from the Earth."

Next Time

From treating humans to treating the buildings in which they live, how nanotechnology is being used in materials science and how a Greek entrepreneurial scientist has developed products that protect surfaces from stains, moulds, and fungus. Personally recognised by Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, for the innovative nature of their work, they are undoubtedly delivering cutting edge nanotech inventions and technical excellence to improve and add value to a wide range of everyday products.

Look out for the next article to learn how this little company is experiencing burgeoning international growth by delivering massive advances and technical excellence in surface protections.
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Surfapore products can be bought on line from http://www.hgc.uk.com or http://www.benfieldatt.co.uk for inustrial quantities.

As visiting professor with the University of Wales Newport, Dr Benfield speaks, writes and consults on a range of environmental and sustainable development issues. Full Reprints with acknowledgment permitted. Approval required for changes.

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