BBC Knowledge Asia Edition 3

body. The researchers foresee a time when diabetics could

shine a torch on their skin to top up insulin.

Meanwhile, a microscopic, injectable ‘nanoparticle

generator’ was recently found to yield ‘astonishing results’

in the treatment of lung and liver cancers in mice. These

drug-filled containers can deliver higher doses of drugs to

the cancerous cells than medicines dissolved in the blood.

Healthy tissue is therefore spared the toxic effects of a high

dose. Clinical trials on the first human patients could begin

as early as next year.

“Nanomedicine is not just about the delivery of drugs

through the bloodstream. There are numerous other ways

nanotechnology could transform medicine,” said Prof

Kostas Kostarelos, chair of nanomedicine at University

College London.

He is helping to develop ‘nanoneedles’ that could extend

surgeons’ tools to unimaginable levels of fineness and

precision.

“This could offer surgeons an extension of the syringe or

scalpel at the nanoscale, which could deliver therapeutics to

individual cel ls, or even al low them to manipulate

individual cel lular components,” says Kostarelos. “They

would use molecular recognition so that the tip associates

with a particular structure.”

Scientists also believe nanomedicines will be used to send

signals about conditions in the body. For example,

nanoparticles known as ‘quantum dots’ have a metal inner

core and a protective shell. This structure gives them unique

optical properties, allowing the particles to modified so that

they can give off f luorescent light in the presence of certain

disease, which is then picked up in a scan.

MATERIAL WORLD

Nanomedicines can be roughly classified as ‘hard’ and ‘soft’

depending on the substances used to build them. ‘Hard’

nanomedicines often use materials like graphene, a type of

Visualisation of

quantum dots

attaching to a

tumour on

the wall of a

blood vessel

Water molecule Glucose molecule Quantum dots Virus Bacteria

SIZE SCALE (width)

Electron microscope

Glucose molecule DNA nanobot Bacteria

0.1nm 1nm 10nm 25nm 100nm 1,000nm

SCIENCE