What will the medicine of the future be like? Will it allow treatments to be personalized? In the answers to these questions, the development of nanotechnology will play a decisive role, according to David González Calatayud, professor in the Master in Agrifood Biotechnology at the Catholic University of Ávila and Researcher at the CSIC Institute of Ceramics and Glass.
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In a session of the Virtual Multidisciplinary Days given by the Instagram account @ucavila, David González Calatayud explained what nanoscience and nanotechnology consist of that offer very interesting possibilities in which he has become known as Nanomedicine.
These two concepts are, respectively, science and technology that study objects and their applications at the nanoscale, that is, from 1 to 100 nanometers. These extremely small objects possess enough potential to be applied in all fields of science, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering.
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“The importance of nanotechnology lies mainly in the fact that when objects are greatly reduced in size, they can exhibit completely different properties from those of larger sizes. For example, gold, which when its size is greatly reduced, ceases to be inert and becomes highly reactive and changes its color to red, “said David González.
Nanomedicine, as the professor has developed, involves the use of nanoparticles, as well as more extensive research involving the use of manufactured “nanorobots” to make repairs at the cellular level. “The use of nanotechnology in the medical field can revolutionize the way we detect and treat damage to the human body and diseases, and many techniques that were only imagined a few years ago are making remarkable progress in become realities ”, according to David González.
nanotechnology for precision treatments
Nanoparticles allow specific treatments to be used. For example, using them to bring medicines, heat, light, or other substances to cells or specific parts of the body (such as tumor cells). In this sense, these particles are designed to recognize diseased cells, allowing direct treatment of them. This technique not only reduces damage to healthy cells in the body but also enables early detection of disease.
“All this is promoting the development of what is defined as personalized medicine, that is, the adequacy of the detection and treatment of diseases to the characteristics of each patient,” said the professor in the Master in Agrifood Biotechnology.
Among many other use cases, the David González has set the example of the textile industry, which uses nanoparticles to kill bacteria that generate the bad smell of clothing. Also in water treatment they are used to destroy existing pollutants.
In the case of medical treatments, he has narrated how currently drugs are taken that work invading the entire body to treat a specific problem. However, nanoparticles could be used to attack only what it is intended to eliminate, as González has explained.
“All this highlights the potential of nanoscience and nanotechnology for the development of medicine of the future,” said the professor in the Master in Agri-Food Biotechnology.
