Review: Explore the World of Nanomedicine

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a cutting-edge technology with numerous applications, one of the most interesting being nanomedicine. This interactive CD-ROM allows students to explore the world of nanomedicine in the areas of diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The programs on the disc consist of narrated presentations with clear and simple graphics as well as short film clips in which scientists explain their research on a level that is understandable to high school students.We meet Dr. Naomi Halas, a physicist who invented nanoshells (nanoscale glass spheres coated with gold), which can be tuned to capture particular wavelengths of light and heat up. Dr. Jennifer West, a bioengineer, suggested tuning them to the near infrared spectrum, which can pass through skin. The two scientists thought that if they could get nanoshells into tumors and zap them with near infrared lasers, they might be able to burn away the tumors without harming surrounding tissue. Testing their ideas, they showed that tumors were completely destroyed in mice. Dr. Ralph Weissleder and Dr. Mukesh Harisinghani are working to develop a technique for earlier cancer detection using iron oxide nanoparticles covered with dextran. These particles are taken up by normal lymph node cells but not by cancer cells. An MRI can show the difference, leading to a simple way to detect metastatic cancers. Trials show that the technique was successful in detecting over 90% of tumors in mice. Further tests, including human trials, will be necessary before either of these techniques will be available for routine cancer detection and treatment.Dr. Mauro Ferrari, a mathematical physicist and engineer, noted that cancer detection relies on detecting biomarker molecules that are typical of cancer. His lab has developed nano-engineered silicon wafers on which blood serum can be placed. The wafers act as filters that trap these tiny biomarkers. A mass spectrometer is used to identify the molecules, thereby detecting the cancer markers. Ferrari’s lab is also exploring whether tiny silicon microcells can be used to target cancer cells in the body and deliver drugs only to those cells, unlike current chemotherapy that kills many more healthy cells than cancer cells. Ferrari believes that we are on the verge of curing cancer and that today’s younger generation will live in a world where cancer is no longer a death sentence for anybody.This program would be a useful tool for a science class unit on nanotechnology or for a study of cancer detection and treatment in a biology or health class. It is a wonderful illustration of the scientific process, showing how scientists identify problems, brainstorm ideas, hypothesize, conduct controlled experiments, and draw conclusions from the results. It shows that scientific results are often the product of teamwork by scientists and engineers in many fields. The information on the CD could have been produced as a DVD, but what makes this superior is that a student can use this individually, going at his or her own pace, backing up to catch a missed or unclear word, graphic, or concept, and to click on any menu item for review and reinforcement. The CD could also be taken home to be used as part of a homework assignment.Included on the CD are three games: Zap a Tumor, Diagnose a Mouse, and Target a Tumor. Aligned with the three lines of research explained in the clips, these simple games can help clarify some of the concepts in an interactive manner. The disk menu includes two clickable questions – “What is nanotechnology?” and “What is nanomedicine?” – which I would recommend viewing before exploring the other parts of the CD.