Knowra Nanomedicine Nanomedicine Nanomedicine uses nanoscale materials and devices to diagnose, image, prevent, or treat disease. It includes engineered particles, molecular machines, and nanoscale diagnostic tools.
Lipid Nanoparticle : A nanoscale particle made primarily from lipids, used to carry drugs or nucleic acids in biological systems. Lipid nanoparticles deliver fragile RNA medicines into cells, including in approved vaccines.
Enhanced Permeability and Retention Effect : The tendency of some tumors to accumulate certain macromolecules and nanoparticles because of leaky vessels and impaired drainage. This effect motivated passive nanoparticle targeting, though its consistency in human tumors is limited.
Nanoparticle : A small particle with dimensions typically measured in nanometers, whose properties can differ from bulk material. Nanoparticles are the central material platform used across many forms of nanomedicine.
Richard Feynman : An American physicist whose 1959 lecture imagined manipulating and building structures at very small scales. His lecture helped inspire later interest in engineering matter at nanoscale dimensions.
Nanotoxicology : The study of how nanomaterials can cause harm through their composition, size, shape, or surface properties. Nanomaterials may have biological effects not captured by tests designed for conventional chemicals.
Magnetic Nanoparticle : A nanoscale particle with magnetic properties, used in imaging, sensing, and experimental therapies. Magnetic nanoparticles can act as contrast agents or generate heat under alternating magnetic fields.
Opsonization : The coating of a particle or pathogen with molecules that promote its recognition and uptake by immune cells. Opsonization can send nanoparticles to clearance organs before they reach their intended targets.
Colloid : A mixture in which small particles or droplets remain dispersed in another substance without quickly settling. Many nanomedicines are colloidal dispersions whose stability affects storage and delivery.
Nanotechnology : The science and engineering of materials and devices at nanometer scales. Nanomedicine applies nanotechnology to biological diagnosis and treatment.
Targeted Drug Delivery : The delivery of a therapeutic agent preferentially to a selected tissue, cell type, or molecular target. Nanomedicine promises targeted delivery, but many carriers accumulate outside intended tissues.
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