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Amogh Bandekar

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

9/26/19

Topic Proposal: Nanotechnology in Medicine

Introduction/Overview

This project will explore the correlations, if any, between the use of nanotechnology in

medicine on human health, as well as the controversy associated with nanotechnology and

socioeconomic gaps. Nanotechnology in Medicine is the manipulation of matter at a near atomic

level to benefit patients as a whole at the cellular level (Center of Disease Control). By

manipulating the body at the cellular level, Doctors will be able to better treat diseases by

isolating and eradicating specific cells within the body, reduce frequency of certain treatments,

or use of medications, and reduce the side effects caused by certain treatments of medications

(John Hopkins University).

Nanotechnology was first introduced in the medical field in the 1990’s when the first

protein was engineered, but became more prominently used in the medical field after researchers

from Rice University developed gold nanoshells to contribute to the discovery diagnosis and

treatment of breast cancer (Rice University). The nanoshell was the first applied and successful

nanotechnology in medicine, yet they were approved by the FDA ten years after this novel

technology came out. The nanoshell was stalled in the approval process due to controversy over

the FDA classifying it as a drug or device (Duke University). Despite this, nanotechnology in

medicine has become heavily pursued, with a global nanomedicine market size of $138.8 billion
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in 2016 (Grand View Research). The United States is one of the largest in patent applications,

53%, for the field of nanotechnology in medicine (JRC European Commisions).

Nanotechnology in medicine is still relatively new; therefore, the health risks are still

unknown. Yet, certain studies have caused speculation into how beneficial nanoparticles truly are

in medicine. In a study published by the Journal of Molecular Cell Biology Chinese researchers

have found Ployamidoamine dendrimers, a nanoparticle being used in nanomedicine, triggering

autophagic cell death in lung cells. This causes concern as very little testing or research is being

put into the adverse effects that nanoparticles could cause, compared to research into beneficial

applications of nanoparticles/nanotechnology in medicine. Along with this, how long the

nanoparticle will be remnant within the body is unsure. Dr. Zhao, a lead researcher at the

Chinese Academy of Sciences through his research has found that many nanomaterials end up

binding to proteins in the body, potentially causing excretion and metabolism to be impeded.

In addition to health risks, nanotechnology in medicine may pose a threat to widening the

economic gap between financial classes. In 2009, the average cost per dose of anticancer drug

doxorubicin was $62-$162 compared to $5,594 for Doxil, a nanoparticle containing doxorubicin

(National Center of Biotechnology Information). A study done looking at the treatment and

results due to these treatments showed that Doxil and Doxorubicin had similar results, only that

Doxorubicin had less side effects (National Institute of Health). Those unable to afford the

nanomedicine counterpart for treatment may adversely fall ill due to some side effect of the non-

nanomedicine dosage counterpart. Especially with diseases like cancer where nanomedicine is

most apparent, having an individual from a family takes a financial toll on the family, but falling

further ill due to side effects of the non-nanotechnology medication would further promote the

financial gap between economic classes.

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Even though some admit that the use of nanotechnology in medicine has increased the

financial gap between economic classes, corporations and other health advocates argue that this

nanomedicine medication would require a shorter treatment plan, and could be better absorbed

by the body through the use of nanotechnology, reducing the dosage needed by the body, and the

financial burden on the individual in the end (World Health Organization). Andrew Owen, from

the University of Liverpool, leading research to create a safer and cheaper HIV treatment stated,

“Reducing the dose could create production savings of $243 million a year and greatly reduce

manufacturing requirements”. Therefore, there is much debate over whether the benefits of

nanotechnology in medicine are able to exceed the disadvantages.

For my preliminary research, I did a quick search online which led me to articles from the

National Institute of Health. I then used the Library’s database to find some scholarly articles

that went into more detail about my topic. I also reached out to one of the research professors I

will be doing cancer research with this semester, even though he does not do nanotechnology

research and their applications into medicine, he was still able to provide me with some more

knowledge, as cancer and nanotechnology in medicine have some overlaps. The interactions I

had with him and the more scholarly articles led me to articles by Duke University, Rice

University, The Center for Disease Control, The World Health Organization, and The National

Center of Biotechnology Information.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

Does nanotechnology in medicine present as a threat to human health? What are the financial

and socio-economic impacts of nanotechnology in medicine? What are the positive and negative

aspects of nanotechnology in medicine?

My Interest in this Topic

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I’m interested in researching the potential effects caused by nanotechnology in medicine

as my grandmother had passed away from cancer but was involved in nanomedicine cancer trials

before she passed away. I was seven years old at that time, but the new cancer treatment method

at that time always made me curious as to what was so special in her treatment. I did research

then to get a better understanding of how nanotechnology in medicine worked and found that

nanomedicine works at cellular level to eradicate diseases. However, I hope to now learn the

potential positive and negative impacts of nanotechnology in medicine on the health of patients,

being able to gain an understanding at the nano level, as well as the impacts to the economic and

financial structures in society nanotechnology in medicine will have. I want to go into health

policy work in the future and so examining gaps in treatment or treatment methods caused by

financial issues and how we can reduce those gaps also interests me.

Next Steps
I will be visiting the NIH, NCBI, and The CDC websites to understand more of their

policies and requirements for new medical treatments involving nanotechnology. I will also be

using the database provided by the library to find scholarly journals that will investigate more of

the financial sustainability of using nanomedicine vs. non-nanomedicine as treatment options. I

will also go through various universities that have done research using nanotechnology in

medical applications and the impacts their treatments have had, such as Duke and Rice

University. I will also subscribe to various health journals to get a better perspective into the

topic, such as The Journal of Molecular Cell Biology.