10.05.07
U.S. Demand for Nanotechnology Medical Products to Approach $53 Billion in 2011
Demand for nanotechnology medical products will increase over 17 percent per year to $53 billion in 2011. Afterwards, the increasing flow of new nanomedicines, nanodiagnostics, and nanotech-based medical supplies and devices into the U.S. marketplace will boost demand to more than $110 billion in 2016. These and other trends are presented in "Nanotechnology in Healthcare," a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm. The critical need for new or improved therapies for many medical conditions will promote the adaptation of nanotechnology to an expanding number of pharmaceuticals. The total market for nanomedicines will command strong growth over the long term. Treatments based on humanized monoclonal antibodies, nanopolymers and nanoproteins will drive gains, with compounds for cancer, heart diseases, neurological disorders and viral infections leading new product introductions and growth opportunities.
Read More: Sys-con
08.05.07
Nanotechnology May Be Used to Regenerate Tissues, Organs
Research at Northwestern University has shown that a combination of nanotechnology and biology may enable damaged tissues and organs to heal themselves. In a presentation at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC last week, Samuel I. Stupp, board of trustees professor of materials science, chemistry, and medicine, and director of the Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine (IBNAM), reported on his work that suggests nanotechnology can be used to mobilize the body's own healing abilities to repair or regenerate tissues and organs. Stupp was the featured speaker at the launching of a new report NanoFrontiers: Visions for the Future of Nanotechnology from the Center's Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. The project was co-sponsored by the Directors of the NIH and the NSF.
Read More: Nanotechwire
Australian Nanotechnology Companies Set to Revoltionize Drug Delivery
Two Australian bio-nanotech companies are set to revolutionize the way that medicine is delivered. Victorian Premier Steve Bracks announced today at BIO 2007 in Boston that Nanotechnology Victoria Ltd (NanoVic) is launching Interstitial NanoSystems (Interstitial NS) and Quintain NanoSystems (Quintain NS) as independent companies. The NanoVic spin-offs are the result of a portfolio of projects and developments built around strategic investment of nearly A$14 million with over a dozen partners since 2004.
Read More: Nanotech Now
02.05.07
Winston-Salem wants funding for NanoMed Institute
Creation of the North Carolina NanoMedicine Institute in Winston-Salem's Piedmont Triad Research Park could generate as many as 6,000 jobs during the next 10 years, with an average annual salary of $87,000. N.C. NanoMed would be an independent nonprofit medical testing facility designed to help companies obtain FDA approval for nanomedical products. The institute would include researchers from area colleges and universities, who would work with the companies in the testing process, the announcement said.
Read More: The Business Journal
Evidence of Nanoparticles Found In Plaque-Filled Arteries
Scientific evidence increasingly links arterial calcification to the presence of nanosized particles so small that some scientists question whether a nanoparticle can live and, if so, play a viable role in causing disease.A new Mayo Clinic study cites evidence showing the presence of nanoparticles near plaque-filled arteries in animal models. The study suggests that nanoparticles potentially represent a previously unrecognized factor in the development of arteriosclerosis and calcific arterial disease. The study will be presented during the 2007 Experimental Biology meeting in Washington, D.C., on April 29.
Read More: Nanotech-Now
30.04.07
Risks and Benefits of Nano-Silver
Nanosilver products can be found in an increasing number of consumer products such as food packagings, textiles, cosmetics and cleaning devices. Silver has been known for its antibacterial properties for centuries, and (nano-) silver is thought to be able to damage bacterial cells by destroying the enzymes that transport cell nutrients and by weakening the cell membrane or the cell wall.A more recent study by the University of Hong Kong has shown that nanosilver allows wounds to heal faster than using conventional antibiotics. In this study, the researchers treated wounds with conventional antibiotics, with nano-silver antibiotics and without any antibiotics. The silver nanoparticles led to complete healing within 25 days, while the conventionally treated wounds healed in 29 days and it took 35 days in the case the wounds were left untreated (2). Therefore, the application of nanosilver represents an opportunity to save costs in the medical care sector.
In the year 2005, a study by the University of Texas and the Mexican University reported that nanosilver was even able to inhibit viruses. The results suggested that silver nanoparticles interact with the HIV-1 virus via preferential binding to certain glycoprotein knobs. Due to this interaction, silver nanoparticles inhibit the virus from binding to host cells, as demonstrated in vitro (1). However, scientists and environmentalists worry that excessive use of silver might allow it to seep into the environment, where it could kill small organisms and disrupt the ecosystem by killing beneficial bacteria essential to soil, plant and animal health. Scientists also have the serious apprehension that the use of nanosilver will lead to the development of antibiotic resistance among bacteria, which already represents a major problem in infection treatment today (3). So far, the exact mechanisms of interaction and the impacts of nanosilver on the environment are largely unknown. Once more, the opportunities have to be carefully balanced against potential risks, and a lot of research is still necessary.
More information: Innovation Society
Nanotech Capsules May Aid TB Treatment
South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is collaborating with Ayanda Biosystems, based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, to develop a nanoparticle-encapsulated treatment for tuberculosis (TB). At the World Nano Economic Congress held last week in Pretoria, South Africa's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom said that existing treatments for TB can be problematic in terms of patient compliance because they require the patient to take four drugs over the course of several weeks or months. Owing to the slow degrading and the slow release mechanism of the carrier systems, drug release can be prolonged through nano-based drug delivery systems, allowing for the administration of drugs once in seven days, instead of the current daily dosage. The nanocapsules were being tested on animals.
Hanekom further explained that 250’000 new cases of TB are diagnosed each year in South Africa and that coinfection of HIV/AIDS has made TB one of the area's leading causes of death. Nano-based drug delivery systems are also being developed for malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases with treatments that require patient compliance. According to Hanekom, the South African government has initiated a number of nanotechnology research and development programs and is setting up two nanotechnology research centres.
Read More: Engineering News
25.04.07
Bucky's brother: the boron buckyball makes its debut -Materials scientists find stable, spherical form for boron
A new study by Rice University scientists predicts the existence and stability of another "buckyball" consisting entirely of boron atoms. The research, which has been published online and is due to appear as an editor's selection in Physical Review Letters, was conducted bv Boris Yakobson, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of chemistry, and his associates Nevill Gonzalez Szwacki and Arta Sadrzadeh. The original buckyball, a cage-shaped molecule of 60 carbon atoms, was discovered at Rice by Robert Curl, Harold Kroto and Richard Smalley in 1985. The boron buckyball is structurally similar to the original C60 fullerene, but it has an additional atom in the center of each hexagon, which significantly increases stability.
Read More: Rice University
Nanoforum EU wide Skills and Training Survey
Nanoforum is conducting a survey of skills and training needs of Industry. This questionnaire is targeted at companies involved in the research, development, production and marketing of nanomaterials, products enabled by nano-scale innovations and services companies in nanotechnology, across all industry sectors. The aim is to identify skills gaps in the emerging nanotechnology market, identify professional development and training needs, and inform institutions running nanotechnology masters programmes so that they can be better focused on industry’s needs. The last date for submitting responses is 24th May, 2007. A full report will be published, on completion of the survey, in July this year. The survey is available from the following weblink - www.nano.org.uk/survey
Read More: nanoforum
23.04.07
3-D Nano Images- IBM researchers have developed a nuclear MRI technique that can see features as small as 90 nanometers.
Understanding the functions of proteins often requires knowing their 3-D structures. But deciphering a protein's structure is a time-consuming and difficult task, typically requiring crystallizing the proteins and bombarding them with x-rays. What's more, scientists have not been able to crystallize thousands of proteins, so their structures remain unknown. A far better option would be an analytic method that allowed biologists to directly determine protein structures. So Dan Rugar, manager of nanoscale studies at IBM's Almaden Research Center, in San Jose, CA, and his colleagues are developing an imaging technique, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), that allows scientists to see a protein's structure in three dimensions, just as MRI scans show 3-D snapshots of the human body. Conventional MRI can make out features down to three micrometers.To image a protein or other biomolecule in three dimensions, the researchers hope to bring the resolution of the MRI method down to less than one nanometer so that they can pinpoint the location of individual atoms in a protein. Scientists could then reconstruct the protein's structure.
Read More: Technology Review
Nanotechnology pesticide filter debuts in India
A domestic water filter that uses metal nanoparticles to remove dissolved pesticide residues is about to enter the Indian market. Its developers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai (formerly Madras) believe it is the first product of its kind in the world to be commercialised. The mechanism of removal is 'adsorption followed by catalytic destruction', Pradeep explained. 'The chemistry occurs in a wide concentration range of environmental significance.' He added that tests proved silver particles from the filter are not released into the water. Eureka already markets a water purifier that combines a sedimentation chamber with activated carbon filters and UV irradiation, and costs around Rs8500 (approx. $200). Reddy estimated that adding the x-centimetre-long nanosilver cartridge (see image) to remove pesticides will increase the price by 15 per cent, but silver recycling (in an environmentally-friendly manner, stressed Pradeep) should help to reduce that cost.
Read More: Chemistry World
18.04.07
Nanotechnology Workers Need Protection from Airborne Nanomaterials, Experts Say
 A newly published article by two occupational health experts is suggesting a new methods and tools for measuring exposure to airborne engineered nanomaterials. The health experts are also suggesting that these measures will be required to protect the health of workers in nanotechnology-related jobs. An estimated total of 10 million people have been predicted to be in nanotechnology jobs by 2014, according to the article published in the inaugural issue of the journal Nanotoxicology. The article, “Assessing Exposure to Airborne Nanomaterials: Current Abilities and Future Requirements,” written by Andrew Maynard, chief science advisor at the Wilson Center’s Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, and Robert Aitken, director of strategic consulting at the Institute of Occupational Medicine (Edinburgh, UK), can be viewed online at http://www.nanotoxicology.net.
Read More: Carib Journal
Nanoparticles can damage DNA, increase cancer risk
Tissue studies indicate that nanoparticles could damage DNA and lead to cancer, according to research presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. Nanoparticles are small enough to penetrate cell membranes and defenses, yet they are large enough to cause trouble by interfering with normal cell processes, researchers at the University of Massachusetts say. Such nanoparticles are currently in use in electronics, cosmetics, and chemical manufacturing, among others industries. Because of their extremely small size, they can be difficult to isolate from the larger environment, as they are much too small for removal by conventional filtering techniques. When nanoparticles find their way into cancer cells, they can wreak havoc, according to Sara Pacheco, an undergraduate researcher at the University of Massachusetts. Yet very little is known about how they behave in the environment or how they interact with and affect humans.
Read More: nanowerk
19.01.07
Illinois and Pakistani researchers team for nanotechnology cancer cures
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are teaming up with counterparts in Pakistan to develop nanotechnologies which will identify potential cancer therapies which utilize native medicinal plants. The Indo-Pakistan subcontinent is rich in such remedial sources, most of which remain untouched, explained Kenneth Watkin, co-director and lead principle investigator (PI) for the Nanomedicine for Cancer research project, which is being funded by the Pakistan-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperative Program.
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17.01.07
Towards a high performance nanotechnology glucose sensor for diabetes sufferers
Nanomaterial-based biosensors already have shown the capability of detecting trace amounts of biomolecules in real time. New research has studied the electrochemical characteristics of platinum decorated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a promising candidate for glucose sensing. Its improved performance may encourage further exploration of this novel nanomaterial in the field of bioapplications.
The researchers used platinum decorated multi-walled CNTs to prepare an enzyme-based mediated glucose sensor. Compared with the bare MWNT-based sensor, the Pt/MWNT paste-based glucose sensor exhibits a substantially higher sensitivity.
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Properties of nanoparticles depend on cluster size
Tiny variations in the numbers of atoms along the edges of molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles can profoundly influence the crystal's atomic-scale structure and coordination, electronic properties, and other characteristics, researchers in Denmark have shown.The findings may lead to improvements in MoS2-based desulfurization catalysts for fuel cleanup and to advanced lubricants and other applications.
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16.01.07
Anticancer Nanoparticles Zero In on Tumors
Specially designed nanoparticles could deliver more imaging agents and drugs, leading to more-effective diagnosis and therapies. A new class of nanoparticles that home in on tumors and then attract additional nanoparticles to the site could play an important role in diagnosing and treating cancer, according to researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, in La Jolla, CA.
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EU green-lights first ever DNA chip project
The EU recently gave a green light to a diagnostic DNA chip study. The three-year, €2.5 M project is coordinated by the IDIBAPS-Hospital Clinic in Barcelona (Spain) and is comprised of participants from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, France and the UK. The IBDchip (Inflammatory Bowel Disease DNA Chip) consortium project targets inflammatory bowel disease through the innovative technique of identifying DNA mutations with laser systems.
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ENTA launches a free and confidential service for UK companies
The European Nanotechnology Trade Alliance (ENTA) unveiled a free and confidential service for UK companies involved in creating engineered nanoparticles. Through ENTA, these companies are offered the opportunity to supply data to the UK Government via DEFRA’s Voluntary Reporting Scheme for Engineered Nanoscale Materials, in confidence.
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15.01.07
New report: Nanomedicine - Nanotechnology for Health
The European technology platform Nanomedicine published a 45-page vision paper – Nanomedicine - Nanotechnology for Health – on nanomedicine with the goal of defining the European nanomedicine research agenda for the next few years. In order to avoid that this young and very fast growing discipline suffers from fragmentation and a lack of coordination, industry and academia – together with the European Commission – have identified the need for a European initiative to intermesh the several strands of nanomedicine into a firm strategy for advancement. The European Technology Platform on NanoMedicine is an industry-led consortium, bringing together the key European stakeholders in the sector.
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Improving Blood Stem Cell Transplants, Bioseparations Using Magnetic Nanoparticles
Whether the goal is to separate different types of cells or molecules, methods that rely on the age-old principle of magnetism are a staple among researchers. Now, two reports show that the use of magnetic nanoparticles in bioseparations could have a significant impact on both clinical oncology and basic cancer research.Reporting its work in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering, a research team headed by Maciej Zborowski, Ph.D., demonstrated that magnetic nanoparticles, combined with antibodies, successfully enriches peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) in samples of whole blood. Clinical trials have shown that PBPCs are more effective than bone marrow transplantation at restoring an individual’s blood cells population following high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Read More: http://nano.cancer.gov/news_center/nanotech_news_2006-11-20b.asp
Nanotechnology Continues to Advance Anticancer Gene Therapy
Given that cancer is a disease in which genetic errors play a major role, it should come as no surprise that many experts envision a time when gene therapy will play an equally important role in the treatment of cancer. But before that day can come, researchers much overcome a major hurdle: safely delivering therapeutic genes and other nucleic acid-based regulatory agents into malignant cells. Enter nanotechnology.
Read More: http://nano.cancer.gov/news_center/nanotech_news_2006-11-20a.asp
Capsulution Nanosciences Advances with Drug Delivery Systems Program
Capsulution NanoScience AG, a Berlin based nanotechnology company that is specialised in the development of innovative packaging systems for active substances, has successfully completed additional capital increases of more than 1.3 million Euro.
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Human enhancement from different perspectives
Nanoforum intends to stimulate debate on nanoethics by offering a platform for debate and articles. The latest action is a discussion primer comparing evaluations of potential uses of nanotechnology and converging technologies for human enhancement in different ethical traditions. You can download the article for free from our site after signing in and clicking nanoforum reports.
Read More: http://nanoforum.org/nf06~modul~showmore~folder~99999~scc~news~scid~2758~.html?action=longview&
Five Grand Challenges for Safe Nanotechnology - Expert group sets out framework for delivery of ‘safe’ Nanotechnologies
Five ‘Grand Challenges for Safe Nanotechnology’ have been published in ‘Nature’ by an international team of independent experts in the field.The group, led by Andrew Maynard of the Woodrow Wilson Institute Project for Emerging Nanotechnologies, and including co-authors from the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) and the SnIRC initiative (Safety of nanoparticles Interdisciplinary Research Centre), call for the pursuit of sustainable nanotechnology development through ‘sound science’ – an implementation of strategic and integrated research programs over the next 15 years.
Read More: http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html
So Far, Venture Capital Relatively Unsuccessful in Biopharma Market
Dr. Ogan Gurel, one of the Keynote speakers at the Investing in Medical Nanotechnology Conference discusses why venuture capital is failing in the biopharma market and what are the current hurdles in various financing models.
Read the full article: http://www.midwestbusiness.com/news/viewnews.asp?newsletterID=15991
Buckyballs with a Surprise
Carbon cages filled with metal molecules could improve MRI diagnostics and make high-efficiency solar cells.A Virginia-based startup called Luna nanoWorks is nearing commercialization of a novel version of buckyballs--soccerball-shaped carbon molecules--that the company says could improve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and lead to high-efficiency solar cells. Each buckyball is made of 80 carbon atoms with metal-nitride clusters trapped inside, creating a nanomaterial with novel electronic, optical, and magnetic properties.
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Self-Assembling Nanoparticle Releases Drug Into Cell Cytoplasm
A growing body of research leaves no doubt that nanoparticles can transport drugs into cancer cells, but what is less clear is that the drug payload can exit the tiny endosomes that pull nanoparticles into cells. As a result, there is still some concern that only a small portion of a nanoparticle’s drug payload will actually get into the cell’s cytoplasm and attack its intended intracellular molecular target.
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Expert develops nanoparticle drug delivery method to replace eyedrops
This new method, developed by biomaterials and drug delivery expert Dr John Tsibouklis at the University of Portsmouth, uses biodegradable polymer nanoparticles to administer drugs to the eye.
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Nanotube Scaffolds for Neural Implants
Tiny carbon fibers are helping stem cells to grow in stroke-damaged brains .Scientists are developing nanotube-based delivery devices for stem-cell therapies.
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19/09/06
Spanish Report Indicates Nanotechnology May Have Direct Applications in Medicine
On Friday 15th, the Spanish Nanomedicine Platform (Nanomed Spain) and the European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine presented reports on the current status of nanomedicine in Spain and the strategic lines of action at European level to promote R+D in this field.
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07/09/06
Heart Smart: New Drug Improves Blood Flow
A new drug has been shown to improve blood flow in diseased arteries, reducing the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks, a Monash University study published today reveals. The finding is a significant development for the Monash team that, in conjunction with Bayer Health Care, hopes to use the drug as part of a revolution in the management of heart disease.
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05/09/06
Nanowires Listen In on Neurons
Electrodes made of nanowires can measure the complex signals in a single brain cell.Creating a tool with unmatched sensitivity, Harvard University researchers have made silicon nanowires that can precisely measure multiple electric signals within a neuron.
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Scientists Make Discovery That May Shed Further Light on Dementia Diseases
Scientists from Denmark's iNANO have identified an early and mature state of an oligomer (a protein complex) that may play a key role in the processes in the brain which lead to dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
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04/09/06 Nano Bullets for Ovarian Cancer
A nano-sized drug capsule designed to seek-and-destroy malignant cells shows signs of being able to significantly shrink ovarian cancer tumors. The researchers behind the novel drug, Mansoor Amiji at Northeastern University and MIT's Robert Langer, say the secret is in the packaging: a pH-sensitive nanoparticle that encapsulates the therapeutics, delivering them directly to cancer sites in mice and suppressing tumor growth. The researchers reported their success in the journal Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology.
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Polymers show promise for lab-on-a-chip technology
Researchers are touting the use of liquid crystalline polymers (LCP) as a viable tool for use in devices such as the sought-after lab-on-a-chip technology.
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Hair-thin heart sensor holds promise
San Antonio researchers are beginning work on a sensor finer than the width of a human hair that could be implanted within the hearts of heart failure patients, allowing doctors to monitor them at home.
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Vitamin E nanotech innovation marks a big step for formulators
The rejuvenating qualities of vitamin E mean it is has long been a popular choice for anti-ageing skin care products, but likewise, it has traditionally been a difficult compound for formulators to work with. Until now that is.
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