Nanotechnology and Medicine
The active pursuit of knowledge in nanotechnology could revolutionize the treatment and detection of various diseases in the future. Nanotechnology is the branch of science that focuses on the development of technology at the molecular scale, including the development of instruments that have been applied to many fields, such as the automotive, cosmetic, and fabric industries. In medicine, nanotechnology has already been applied to the treatment of diabetes, the production of prosthetic limbs, and the improvement of life for the paralyzed, and many believe it is also the key to curing cancer and even immortality.
For the majority of the time, disease and illness are caused by damage at the molecular and cellular level. Modern treatments for such diseases promulgate the use of large and rather crude (relative to the cellular level) surgical tools that, at the molecular level, injure and tear rather than heal. Thus, modern surgery is only effective because of the human capacity to recover from injuries, not necessarily because the techniques used are advanced.
With the application of nanotechnology, surgeries performed with crude tools will no longer be the best viable option. Nanotechnology will allow scientists to economically build complex molecular machines- smaller than a human cell- and lead the way in controlled interference at the molecular level, unclogging arteries, killing cancer cells, and providing artificial mitochondrion. Nanotechnology may produce new instruments allowing scientists to examine the human body and its functions in unprecedented detail, where microscopic machines could give views of ongoing bodily functions or views of human structures.
Therefore, I believe that nan...
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...m these advancements that are from human body parts. Instead, it is imperative to honor and preserve those who have made these interventions possible
One of the rational to this problem is the size of the surgical tools that are million times bigger compared to a single cell. In 1959, Richard Feynman, an engineer, proposed a solution for this problem by suggesting the idea of nanoscale surgical tools for more accurate diagnosis and assessment. Today, Feynman’s initiative is being achieved and many microscopic tools have already been developed for greater precision and faster healing; nanoscale tweezers, microscopic scalpels and nanoparticles.
In the article “Pinpointing Cancer Fight,” Liz Szabo states the uses of nanotechnology and how researchers are attempting to use this advancement to fight cancer. She defines that nanotechnology is a type of technology that creates devices on an atomic level; this equipment can allow people such as researchers to use its ability to detect cancerous cells as well as treat them. Szabo remains a neutral tone as she states that while some are against the idea of using nanotechnology since there are many risks, others are optimistic that it may lead to transformational results. She presents a list of some products developed through nanotechnology and explains its usage in addition to mentioning the failure of those nanotech products. Szabo provides
It is clear that nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize health care and even transport
...he site of destruction and regrow those damaged cells. This could be a medical breakthrough for many patients because this could mean limited hospital stay; Fewer treatments from reoccurring illness caused by damaged tissue and saving them money by decreasing the need for multiple hospital visits.
It concerns all specialties of medecine, from pathology and oncology to cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.Currently, nanomedicine applications have been approved and are currently used for diagnostic procedures, body and organ imaging, surgical tools, drug delivery systems and gene therapies. [5,6]
Genetic engineering, the process of using genetic information from the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of cells to fix or improve genetic defects or maladies, has been developing for over twenty years. When Joseph Vacanti, a pediatric surgeon at Children’s Hospital, and Robert Langer, a chemical engineering professor at MIT, first met as researchers in the 1970’s, they had little knowledge of the movement they would help found. After they discovered a method of growing live tissue in the 1980’s, a new science was born, and it races daily towards new discoveries and medical breakthroughs (Arnst and Carey 60). “Tissue engineering offers the promise that failing organs and aging cells no longer be tolerated — they can be rejuvenated or replaced with healthy cells and tissues grown anew” (Arnst and Carey 58). The need for genetic engineering becomes quite evident in the promises it offers in various medical fields, as well to financial ones. Despite critics’ arguments about the morality or practicality of it, genetic engineering should continue to provide the essential benefits it has to offer without unnecessary legal impediment.
...nessing “the power of nanotechnology” to radically change the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer.” The most likely method implemented will by the use of nanovectors for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs, and then heating nanoparticles that are attached to cancer cells so that the cancer cells explode. (5, 9) There are still many obstacles that must be overcome before this is a reality: from the ethical concern by some that nanobots will take control of the body to the more practical problem that this method of treatment will be very expensive and funding will be an issue. (6) But with millions of people suffering from some form of cancer, scientists are searching for cures and treatments and nanotechnology offers the greatest promise. One day, cancer may be completely curable thanks to nanotechnology which is something everyone would benefit from.
The human body is the most complex organism in the world. A vast majority of society never gives it real thought, but our body is a well-oiled machine composed of several systems with separate functions, yet they all work together. No man can recreate an exact working replica of a human; even with all of our technology, we still do not fully understand it. Each day, anatomists and physiologists are getting closer, by making medical breakthroughs. Therefore, since the study of the human body constantly evolves, so does the study of medicine.
Horowitz, N. H. (1997, July 23). Roger Wolcott Sperry. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from Nobelprize.org: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1981/sperry-article.html
The field of bioprinting, using 3D printing technology for producing live cells with extreme accuracy, could be the answer to many of the problems we as humans face in the medical field. It could be the end to organ waiting lists and an alternative for organ transplants. In 3D printing technology lies the potential to replace the testing of new drugs on animals. However, the idea of applying 3 dimensional printing to the health industry is still quite new and yet to have a major impact. Manufacturing working 3D organs remains an enormous challenge, but in theory could solve major issues present today.
Since the beginning of time, human beings have been in search of ways to advance life as we know it. Every single day, somewhere in the world, technology is being transformed and an exciting new piece is birthed into society. Perhaps, one of the most influential advances is in our ever evolving medical profession. Thus, as technology continues to change the world as we know it, it is sweeping the medical field right along with it. Surgical procedures are being drastically improved with the use of robotic technology called da Vinci.
Nanotechnology is science, technology and engineering that is conducted at the nanoscale. The nanoscale is about 1 to 100 nanometres.
Nanotechnology includes nanorobots which are so small that they can be injected into the human bloodstream after which the nanorobots can do investigations or repair at cellular level. Nanorobots could optimize the delivery of pharmaceutical products, these means that medicines which are targeted on a specific type of cells can be delivered to only those cells by the nanorobots. The robots can attach to the cells after which they can inject the drug into the target cells. This could be a great breakthrough for cancer treatments such as chemotherapy because there is a minimal chance of injecting healthy cells with the drug and therefor negative side effects can be avoided.
The procedures that will be the future of modern medicine currently fall into the realms of taboo and fictional. These procedures encompass every aspect of medical science, from exploration of the human body, curing diseases, to improving a person’s quality of life. Many of these procedures are not very well known, while a few have been in the spotlight. These procedures include cloning, nano-robotics, retro-viruses, and genetic manipulation via gene-specific medications. For any serious breakthroughs in modern medical science, we must embrace these new forms of treatment instead of shying away from them. Second, I’ll attempt to explain how these methods and procedures could benefit mankind.