Nanomedicine : hype or hope?

• Main Author: Him, Alex Hock Kim.
• Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53802
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Nanotechnology is a field which has only garnered much attention in recent years, although it has been around for a few decades. Governments are also pouring many resources into it for the potential economic benefit it will bring. Nanotechnology will play an important role in helping to evolve healthcare, enabling personalized medicine. The combination of medicine and nanotechnology is called nanomedicine. Different nanoparticles are utilized in nanomedicine in the fields of drug delivery, tissue engineering and imaging. However, the drawback of nanotechnology is nanotoxicology which affects the environment and human health. Few literature articles exist that evaluate all four areas with respect to the potential benefit or risk of nanomedicine. This paper aims to determine if nanomedicine is merely hype or if there is real hope in recent findings in these areas. Literature findings suggest that there is potential in nanomedicine, but more research is needed for deeper understanding of the interactions at the nanoscale to exploit the potential benefits and reduce the risks. The new knowledge could also help societies and governments adapt to nanotechnological advances.