Innovations In Nanomedicine Research Articles

Immunotoxicity of nanomaterials in health and disease: Current challenges and emerging approaches for identifying immune modifiers in susceptible populations.

Nanosafety assessment has experienced an intense era of research during the past decades driven by a vivid interest of regulators, industry, and society. Toxicological assays based on in vitro cellular models have undergone an evolution from experimentation using nanoparticulate systems on singular epithelial cell models to employing advanced complex models more realistically mimicking the respective body barriers for analyzing their capacity to alter the immune state of exposed individuals. During this phase, a number of lessons were learned. We have thus arrived at a state where the next chapters have to be opened, pursuing the following objectives: (1) to elucidate underlying mechanisms, (2) to address effects on vulnerable groups, (3) to test material mixtures, and (4) to use realistic doses on (5) sophisticated models. Moreover, data reproducibility has become a significant demand. In this context, we studied the emerging concept of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) from the perspective of immune activation and modulation resulting in pro-inflammatory versus tolerogenic responses. When considering the interaction of nanomaterials with biological systems, protein corona formation represents the relevant molecular initiating event (e.g., by potential alterations of nanomaterial-adsorbed proteins). Using this as an example, we illustrate how integrated experimental-computational workflows combining in vitro assays with in silico models aid in data enrichment and upon comprehensive ontology-annotated (meta)data upload to online repositories assure FAIRness (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability). Such digital twinning may, in future, assist in early-stage decision-making during therapeutic development, and hence, promote safe-by-design innovation in nanomedicine. Moreover, it may, in combination with in silico-based exposure-relevant dose-finding, serve for risk monitoring in particularly loaded areas, for example, workplaces, taking into account pre-existing health conditions. This article is categorized under: Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Toxicology of Nanomaterials.

EML webinar overview: Simulation-assisted discovery of membrane targeting nanomedicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought infectious diseases again to the forefront of global public health concerns. In this EML webinar (Gao, 2020), we discuss some recent work on simulation-assisted discovery of membrane targeting nanomedicine to counter increasing antimicrobial resistance and potential application of similar ideas to the current pandemic. A recent report led by the world health organization (WHO) warned that 10 million people worldwide could die of bacterial infections each year by 2050. To avert the crisis, membrane targeting antibiotics are drawing increasing attention due to their intrinsic advantage of low resistance development. In collaboration with a number of experimental groups, we show examples of simulation-assisted discovery of molecular agents capable of selectively penetrating and aggregating in bacterial lipid membranes, causing membrane permeability/rupture. Through systematic all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and free energy analysis, we demonstrate that the membrane activity of the molecular agents correlates with their ability to enter, perturb and permeabilize the lipid bilayers. Further study on different cell membranes demonstrates that the selectivity results from the presence of cholesterol in mammalian but not in bacterial membranes, as the cholesterol can condense the hydrophobic region of membrane, preventing the penetration of the molecular agents. Following the molecular penetration, we establish a continuum theory and derive the energetic driving force for the domain aggregation and pore growth on lipid membrane. We show that the energy barrier to membrane pore formation can be significantly lowered through molecular aggregation on a large domain with intrinsic curvature and a sharp interface. The theory is consistent with experimental observations and validated with coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of molecular domain aggregation leading to pore formation in a lipid membrane. The mechanistic modelling and simulation provide some fundamental principles on how molecular antimicrobials interact with bacterial membranes and damage them through domain aggregation and pore formation. For treating viral infections and cancer therapy, we discuss potential size- and lipid-type-based selectivity principles for developing membrane active nanomedicine. These studies suggest a general simulation-assisted platform to accelerate discovery and innovation in nanomedicine against infectious diseases.EML Webinar speakers are updated at https://imechanica.org/node/24132

Harmonizing Law and Innovations in Nanomedicine, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Biomedical Robotics: A Central Asian Perspective

The recent progression in AI, nanomedicine and robotics have increased concerns about ethics, policy and law. The increasing complexity and hybrid nature of AI and nanotechnologies impact the functionality of “law in action” which can lead to legal uncertainty and ultimately to a public distrust. There is an immediate need of collaboration between Central Asian biomedical scientists, AI engineers and academic lawyers for the harmonization of AI, nanomedicines and robotics in Central Asian legal system.

Envisioning the innovations in nanomedicine to combat visceral leishmaniasis: for future theranostic application.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a life-threatening parasitic disease affecting impoverished people of the developing world; and much effort has been spent on the early case detection and treatment. However, current diagnostics and treatment options are not sufficient for appropriate surveillance in VL elimination setting. Hence, there is a dire need to develop highly sensitive diagnostics and less toxic effective treatments for proper management of cases and to achieve the sustained disease elimination. Although, promising results have been observed with nanomedicines in leishmaniasis; there are great challenges ahead especially in translating this to clinical setting. This review provides updated progress of nanomedicines in VL, and discussed how these innovations and future directions play vital role in achieving VL elimination.

Innovation in Nanomedicine - Nanomaterials Camouflaged with Cellular Membrane for Application in Therapies

Innovation in Nanomedicine - Nanomaterials Camouflaged with Cellular Membrane for Application in Therapies

A landscape of nanomedicine innovations in India

Abstract Nanomedicine is one of the emerging technologies and a branch of nanotechnology finding applications in healthcare. Many countries, including India, are pursuing active research programs in nanomedicine to explore novel healthcare solutions to address specific healthcare needs of the society. At present, the government of India, through its various agencies, is funding nanomedicine research in India. It is anticipated that in the next 5 years or so, several nanomedicine-based products shall reach the market. Thereby, it becomes pertinent to evaluate the extent of India’s involvement in activities related to innovation in nanomedicine. However, a comprehensive landscape of nanomedicine innovation in India is currently lacking. This paper attempts to profile the status of research and innovation in the field of nanomedicine in India. The current study evaluates the innovation on the basis of five indicators: financial ecosystem, technology source, research translation, bibliographic data (patents and publications), and regulation. Public-private partnerships and international collaborations are also discussed in the paper. The landscape elucidates current status of nanomedicine in India and may be relevant for policy-related matters.

PH-Sensitive Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy: Is this a Real Innovation in Nanomedicine?

pH-Sensitive Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy: Is this a Real Innovation in Nanomedicine?

Quo vadis Nanomedicine?

The interdisciplinary workshop ‘Quo Vadis Nanomedicine?’ was held on 10–11 April 2014 at the University of Exeter (Exeter, UK), coorganized by the Schumpeter-Research Group ‘Innovations in Nanomedicine’, funded by the VolkswagenStiftung at Exeter University, and the Sonderforschungsbereich (STB; collaborative research centre) 1066 ‘Nanodimensional Polymer Therapeutics for Tumor Therapy’, funded by the German Research Council (DFG) at the Johannes Gutenberg-University (Mainz, Germany). This international workshop brought together scientists, philosophers and social scientists in order to reflect, discuss and rethink the practices, concepts, methods, models and metaphors, as well as the medical and regulatory needs in current nanomedical research and its possible futures.

Quo vadis nanomedicine?

The interdisciplinary workshop 'Quo Vadis Nanomedicine?' was held on 10-11 April 2014 at the University of Exeter (Exeter, UK), coorganized by the Schumpeter-Research Group 'Innovations in Nanomedicine', funded by the VolkswagenStiftung at Exeter University, and the Sonderforschungsbereich (STB; collaborative research centre) 1066 'Nanodimensional Polymer Therapeutics for Tumor Therapy', funded by the German Research Council (DFG) at the Johannes Gutenberg-University (Mainz, Germany). This international workshop brought together scientists, philosophers and social scientists in order to reflect, discuss and rethink the practices, concepts, methods, models and metaphors, as well as the medical and regulatory needs in current nanomedical research and its possible futures.

Distinctive interactions of oleic acid covered magnetic nanoparticles with saturated and unsaturated phospholipids in Langmuir monolayers.

The growing number of innovations in nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology are posing new challenges in understanding the full spectrum of interactions between nanomateriales and biomolecules at nano-biointerfaces. Although considerable achievements have been accomplished by in vivo applications, many issues regarding the molecular nature of these interactions are far from being well-understood. In this work, we evaluate the interaction of hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) covered with a single layer of oleic acid with saturated and unsaturated phospholipids found in biomembranes through the use of Langmuir monolayers. We find distinctive interactions among the MNP with saturated and unsaturated phospholipids that are reflected by both, the compression isotherms and the surface topography of the films. The interaction between MNP and saturated lipids causes a noticeable reduction of the mean molecular area in the interfacial plane, while the interaction with unsaturated lipids promotes area expansion compared to the ideally mixed films. Moreover, when liquid expanded and liquid condensed phases of the phospholipid(s) coexist, the MNP preferably partition to the liquid-expanded phase, thus hindering the coalescence of the condensed domains with increasing surface pressure. In consequence organizational information on long-range order is attained. These results evidence the existence of a sensitive composition-dependent surface regulation given by phospholipid-nanoparticle interactions which enhance the biophysical relevance of understanding nanoparticle surface functionalization in relation to its interactions in biointerfaces constituted by defined types of biomolecules.

Innovation in Nanomedicine through Materials Nanoarchitectonics

Materials nanoarchitectonics has led to important innovations in the design and construction of systems in nanoelectronics, nanomachinery, and energy conversion. Recent publications point to the fact that the same approach may be applied successfully to other fields. In this Perspective, we define the key features of materials nanoarchitectonics and examine how they can be used to address current challenges in nanomedicine, placing emphasis on colloidal agents for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

The Impact of Effective Patents on Future Innovations in Nanomedicine

The success of nanomedicine is dependent upon an effective protection of IP rights. Unfortunately, the US nanomedicine patent system is dysfunctional because long R&D procedures as well as the patent pendency are insufficiently taken into account. This could be solved by changing the patent-protection starting point and increasing the capacity of the US PTO. The nanotechnology industry also suffers from overlapping patents. This could be avoided by improving the expertise of the PTO, using a more accurate definition of nanotechnology and devising a generally accepted nomenclature that enhances prior-art searches. To avoid disputes, inference practices and strategic patenting can be used. In the case of a dispute, parties can fall back on re-examination, cross-licensing and patent litigation. Cross-licensing agreements are recommended since they allows parties to access technology, create synergies and exclude third-party competitors. Solving the patent problems in the nanotechnology industry is a necessary step for future success.

Nanoparticles: Functionalization and Multifunctional Applications in Biomedical Sciences

Rapid innovations in nanomedicine have increased the likelihood that engineered nanomaterials will eventually come in contact with humans and the environment. The advent of nanotechnology has created strong interest in many fields such as biomedical sciences and engineering field. Central to any significant advances in nanomaterial based applications will be the development of functionalized nanoparticles, which are believed to hold promise for use in fields such as pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. Early clinical results have suggested that functionalization of nanoparticles with specific recognition chemical moieties indeed yields multifunctional nanoparticles with enhanced efficacy, while simultaneously reducing side effects, due to properties such as targeted localization in tumors and active cellular uptake. A prerequisite for advancing this area of research is the development of chemical methods to conjugate chemical moieties onto nanoparticles in a reliable manner. In recent years a variety of chemical methods have been developed to synthesize functionalized nanoparticles specifically for drug delivery, cancer therapy, diagnostics, tissue engineering and molecular biology, and the structure-function relationship of these functionalized nanoparticles has been extensively examined. With the growing understanding of methods to functionalize nanoparticles and the continued efforts of creative scientists to advance this technology, it is likely that functionalized nanoparticles will become an important tool in the above mentioned areas. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide basic information on nanoparticles, describe previously developed methods to functionalize nanoparticles and discuss their potential applications in biomedical sciences. The information provided in this review is important in regards to the safe and widespread use of functionalized nanoparticles particularly in the biomedicine field.

Nanomedicine: promises and challenges for the future of public health

As the scope of nanotechnology applications in medicine evolves, it is important to simultaneously recognize and advance contributions germane to public health. A wide range of innovations in nanomedicine stand to impact nearly every medical specialty and unveil novel ways to improve the quality and extend the duration of life – these gains can be measured at both individual and population levels. For example, heart disease and cancer combined make up approximately half of all deaths in the United States per year, and already, advances in nanomedicine demonstrate great potential to reduce rates of morbidity and mortality due to these diseases. Meanwhile, public health applications of nanomedicine such as rapid and portable diagnostics and more effective vaccinations have the potential to revolutionize global health. Research driven by innovators across disciplines such as engineering, biology, medicine, and public health should collaborate in order to achieve maximal potential impact in health for individuals and populations. In turn, knowledge gaps regarding the potential health and safety implications of exposure to engineered nanomaterials must be continuously addressed and actively researched. Dynamic, proactive, and socially responsible research will drive nanomedicine as it plays an increasingly integral and transformative role in medicine and public health in the 21st century.

The Unither Conference—Recent Advances in Nanomedical Structures and Devices

New paradigms are shrinking our world and a classic technological revolution in medicine is unfolding. The agents of this revolution are microscopically small, products of a relatively nascent interdisciplinary field known as nanomedicine—the application of nanotechnology to healthcare. Nanomedicine, with all its excitement and expectation, is already influencing the pharmaceutical industry, especially in the design, formulation and delivery of therapeutics. Based on this broad theme, the 2nd Annual Unither Nanomedical and Telemedical Technology Conference was held in Orford, Quebec, Canada from February 24–27, 2009. United Therapeutics Corporation (www.unither.com/ UnitherHome.aspx), a biotechnology company headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, sponsored this conference. The company focuses on the development and commercialization of unique products that address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening cardiovascular disease, various infectious diseases and certain cancers. Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., J.D. (Chairman and CEO of United Therapeutics Corporation) and Nobel Laureate Baruch S. Blumberg, M.D., Ph.D. (Distinguished Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, California, US), chaired the conference. This year’s conference highlighted numerous cutting-edge presentations broken up into various sessions that focused on innovations in nanomedicine, telemedicine, and the applications of nanotechnology to the pharmaceutical, device and biotechnology industries. Approximately hundred researchers, engineers, physicians, ethicists, lawyers, business professionals, policy makers and venture capitalists were in attendance.

NanoBiotech 2008: Exploring global advances in nanomedicine

Speakers presenting at NanoBiotech 2008 (http://www. alumni.rpi.edu/nanobio2008.html) focused on innovations in nanomedicine and applications of nanotechnology to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. While exploring some of the cutting-edge research efforts globally underway, the presenters highlighted the urgent need for vigilance with regard to toxicity. Ethical issues were also explored to ensure a fruitful future for the science of manipulating and building things at the molecular level. This is a popular annual conference, now in its sixth year that is held on the beautiful campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, USA (http:// www.rpi.edu/). It is multi-disciplinary in nature and attracts world-wide participation for its in-depth focus on pharma, nanomedicine and biotechnology. About 150 researchers, engineers, physicians, ethicists, lawyers, business professionals, policy makers, and venture capitalists attended this year's conference. NanoBiotech 2008 highlighted 23 cutting-edge presentations broken up into various sessions. The sessions ranged from innovations in nanomedicine to current trends in nanotechnology law and business. Some of the diverse subject matter discussed included nanoparticlebased therapeutics in humans, targeted drug delivery vehicles for tumor angiogenesis, reforming the US patent system, nanobiotechnology patents in Europe, ethical implications of nanomedicine, women in nanotechnology, bio-safety issues of nanoparticles and intellectual property as collateral. Some of the topics discussed at the conference that are currently transforming medicine, big pharma as well as the biotechnology industry, are highlighted below:

Securing innovation in nanomedicine

Securing innovation in nanomedicine