Lecture Notes on Nanotechnology and Medicine

Introduction to Nanotechnology

• Nanotechnology has become a prominent topic in recent years (last 15 years).
• It's integrated into everyday life:
  • Alarm clocks (e.g., smartphones with multiple alarms).
  • Coffee making, watching TV, social media use.

Historical Context

• Development over 40-50 years:
  • The third industrial revolution focused on microelectronics.
  • Shift from vacuum tube televisions to solid-state electronics.
  • Silicon-based electronics revolutionized daily life.

Nanotechnology in Everyday Life

• Present in various aspects:
  • Cell phones, computers, lightweight bike frames.
  • Use of nanoparticles in cosmetics (e.g., sunblocks).
  • Evident in both developing and developed countries (e.g., cycle rickshaws in Bangladesh).

Impact on Healthcare

• Potential of nanotechnology in medicine:
  • Enables interfacing with living systems at smaller scales.
  • Important for understanding diseases like cancer, which originate at the genetic level.
  • Tools developed: nanopores, cantilevers, nanowires, quantum dots, nanoparticles.

Cancer and Nanotechnology

• Human mortality from cancer has not significantly decreased despite advancements.
• Need for innovative approaches:
  • Separation of cells based on electrical behavior (dielectrophoresis).
  • Use of magnetic nanoparticles to target cancer cells.
  • Capture of tumor cells from bodily fluids (blood, urine, saliva).

Examples of Nanotechnology Applications

• Aggressive tumor cells exhibit unique behaviors detectable on nano-textured devices.
• Interrogation of individual cells (similar to a bouncer checking IDs):
  • Measurement of ionic current to identify cell type (normal vs. metastatic).

Importance of Personalized Medicine

• Traditional treatments often lead to over-diagnosis and over-treatment.
• Need for strategies tailored to individual patient profiles:
  • Understanding micrometastasis and cellular subpopulations.
  • Personalized medicine aims to treat based on specific signatures in tumors.

Conclusion

• Nanotechnology provides insights into cellular behavior at a sub-cellular scale.
• Advances could lead to better treatment strategies for cancer through precision medicine.
• Understanding the nature of cancer cells is crucial for effective treatment.