My new post...
This was actually my research proposal for an internship though I modified it a bit.
Please comment if you like it, dislike it or have any views..
Scientists and Engineers
have from time immemorial tried to follow the perfection of nature in their
works. Biological systems and processes have always intrigued and inspired man.
In the recent years, there has been a growing interest in biomimetic methods to
build bio-hybrid systems and bio-mimetic materials for drug delivery, drug
testing and tissue engineering devices. Now Nanotechnology has enabled manipulation
and control at molecular scale to mimic biological systems. This has led to an
bloom in the biomimetic world leading to production of nano-structured tissue
scaffolds and biomaterials for tissue repair and construction, bionanopores for
probing, analyzing and sequencing of biological macromolecules, self-assembled
novel biomaterials with molecular precision.
An interesting theme is the
design and development of micro and nanofabricated devices, like self-assembled
drug delivery devices that aim to combine diagnostic and therapeutic actions
for real-time analysis of targets and instantaneous administration of therapy.
The recent advances of biotechnology and related areas have resulted in the
discovery and design of several novel drugs and therapeutics. But most of the
drugs still have limited action due to their pure solubility, nonspecific
delivery, in vivo degradation, non-adaptability and unacceptability by body.
Thus, effective targeted drug-delivery systems are essential for on-site
administration of these new advances into clinical effectiveness. Additionally,
they will increase patient compliance, extend product life cycle, offer
strategic tool to repackage classic drugs and reduce healthcare costs.
This will have great implications in treating diseases like cancer where time is of prime importance. Several detailed research has been done in
developing and studying the drug delivery of nanoparticles (NPs) in cancerous
tissues by passive targeting, e.g. Doxil which acts by the enhanced
permeability and retention (EPR) effect on ovarian cancer, metastatic breast
cancer and AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma; DOC (sodium deoxycholate)-heparin NPs
for in vivo tumor targeting and inhibition of angiogenesis using EPR effect;
tumor-targetting of cisplatin-loaded glycol chitosan NPs; localized delivery of
transferrin (Tf) conjugated paclitaxel (Tx)-loaded biodegradable NPs to treat
local cancers like prostrate, head and neck cancers; etc. and active targeting,
e.g. PEGylated gold NPs decorated with various amounts of human Tf showed
enhanced targeting, PLGA NPs surface-modified with monoclonal antibodies showed
active targeting of cancer cells, aptamer (oligonucleotides that selectively
binds to targets with high affinity and specifity)-coated
paclitaxel-polylactide nanoconjugates having enhanced targeting to cancer
cells,etc.
The speed and
precision with which a cancer is detected and treated has momentous
implications. Consequently, the
designing of point-of-care(POC) diagnostic devices, e.g. micro total analysis systems (µ-TAS) that
enable diagnostic testing at the site of care and the immediate targeted supply
of nanofabricated drugs at the site will substantially abbreviate analysis time
and drug action time and decrease gap time between them, leading to
exceptionally effective treatment. There is a long way to go before these
dreams are realized, but hardcore research is the key to it.
Works Reviewed:
1)
Hilt J. Zachary, Nanotechnology and
biomimetic methods in therapeutics: molecular scale control with some help from
nature, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews: 56 (2004), 1533– 1536.
2) Parveen
Suphiya, Misra Ranjita, Sahoo Sanjeeb K., Nanoparticles: a boon to drug
delivery, therapeutics, diagnostics and
imaging, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine: 8 (2012), 147–166.
3) Murday et al, Translational nanomedicine:
status assessment and opportunities, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and
Medicine: 5 (2009), 251–273.
4) Tirrell et al, The role of surface science in
bioengineered materials, Surface Science: 500 (2002), 61–83.
5) Langer
R. and Peppas N.A., Advances in
Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, and Bionanotechnology, Bioengineering, Food and Natural Products (book).