Smaller Than Small: Nanomedicine

There’s tiny and then there’s “nano” tiny. We’re talking small as in thousands of times smaller than the thickness of a human hair, small as in atomic and molecule-level small.

The science of creating things on that amazingly small scale, called nanotechnology, also is making its mark in medicine. The use of nanotechnology in health care is known as nanomedicine.

If your last exposure to science was dissecting a frog in high school biology class, don’t worry. We’ll do our best to break it down.

Nanotechnology has been around for decades. Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have been in sunscreen for years to make it more effective. Plus, they make sunscreen feel lighter on your skin. Nanotechnology also helps produce waterproof clothing, create stronger adhesives, and even help tennis balls stay bouncier longer.

Because of their extremely small size, nanoparticles can get to places other medicines or treatments can’t. Your brain is an example. It has a protective layer called the blood brain barrier that keeps out larger molecules. That can present a problem getting drugs to the brain. Nanoparticles can cross that barrier. Your eyes also have a protective barrier, so nanoparticles are useful there as well.

One recent example of nanomedicine is the use of organic nanoparticles in the development of some mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna). Basically, that means researchers designed these particles to better deliver the vaccine and optimize the desired immune response from our bodies. Nanoparticles made of fatty acids were used to transport the mRNA.

The marriage of nanotechnology and medicine has much promise, and research continues. There are hundreds of nanomedicine clinical trials underway, many for cancer. There are a few nanomedicines for cancer that have received Food and Drug Administration approval that use nanoparticles to deliver chemotherapy medicine.

At its heart, nanomedicine is aimed at tailoring a treatment to a specific disease or condition, then being able to deliver that treatment just where it’s needed – and nowhere else – to decrease the risk of potential side effects.

A 2023 Molecules journal article, available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information, noted that “Overall, the future of nanotechnology in healthcare and medicine holds great promise for improving patient outcomes and revolutionizing the way we approach disease prevention and treatment.”

In addition, the article noted nanotechnology is showing successful and beneficial uses in numerous fields, including diagnostics, disease treatment, gene therapy, dentistry and oncology.

The future looks bright, and the next big thing in medicine just may be something that’s very, very small.