Unit II - Bio Nanotechnology

Neuro-electronic interfaces

Neuro-electronic interfacing is a visionary goal dealing with the construction of nanodevices that
will permit computers to be joined and linked to the nervous system. This idea requires the
building of a molecular structure that will permit control and detection of nerve impulses by an
external computer. The computers will be able to interpret, register, and respond to signals the
body gives off when it feels sensations. The demand for such structures is huge because many
diseases involve the decay of the nervous system (ALS and multiple sclerosis). Also, many
injuries and accidents may impair the nervous system resulting in dysfunctional systems and
paraplegia. If computers could control the nervous system through neuro-electronic interface,
problems that impair the system could be controlled so that effects of diseases and injuries could
be overcome. Two considerations must be made when selecting the power source for such
applications. They are refuelable and nonrefuelable strategies. A refuelable strategy implies
energy is refilled continuously or periodically with external sonic, chemical, tethered, magnetic,
or electrical sources. A nonrefuelable strategy implies that all power is drawn from internal
energy storage which would stop when all energy is drained. One limitation to this innovation is
the fact that electrical interference is a possibility. Electric fields, electromagnetic pulses (EMP),
and stray fields from other in vivo electrical devices can all cause interference. Also, thick
insulators are required to prevent electron leakage, and if high conductivity of the in vivo
medium occurs there is a risk of sudden power loss and “shorting out.” Finally, thick wires are
also needed to conduct substantial power levels without overheating. Little practical progress has
been made even though research is happening. The wiring of the structure is extremely difficult
because they must be positioned precisely in the nervous system so that it is able to monitor and
respond to nervous signals. The structures that will provide the interface must also be compatible
with the body’s immune system so that they will remain unaffected in the body for a long time.
In addition, the structures must also sense ionic currents and be able to cause currents to flow
backward. While the potential for these structures is amazing, there is no timetable for when they
will be available.

Drug Delivery

Treatment that employs large size material for drug delivery presents problems such as poor
bioviability, low solubility, a lack of targeted delivery and generalized side effects. The
application of nanotechnology for drug delivery provides the potential for enhanced treatments
with targeted delivery and fewer side effects.

Nanotechnology drug delivery applications occur through the use of designed nanomaterials as
well as forming delivery systems from nanoscale molecules such as liposomes.

Applying nanotechnology to drug delivery should achieve the following benefits:

 Improve the ability to deliver drugs that are poorly water soluble.

Provide site-specific targeting to reduce drug accumulation within healthy tissue.

Help retain the drug in the body long enough for effective treatment.

The extension of drug bioactivity through protection from the biological environment.

Allow for the transportation of drugs across epithelial and endothelial barriers.

Combine therapeutic and diagnostic modalities into one agent.

The Enhanced Permeability and Retention Effect (EPR)

An important discovery for drug delivery nanotechnology applications is the enhanced

permeability and retention effect. Molecules at the nanoscale tend to accumulate in tumor tissue
more than in normal tissue. This is because fast growing tumors have a great oxygen demand and
require the fast generation of blood vessels. The blood vessels produced are structurally
abnormal and contain pores which allow nanoscale molecules to permeate through to the tumor
tissue. As fast growing tumors also lack functioning lymphatic systems, the enhanced
permeability and retention effect should allow for targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Studies have analyzed which types of tumors have responded best to selective drug release via
the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Data from clinical trials found that lung, breast
and ovarian cancers have the best response with greater expression of the polymer drug
conjugate tested. The results indicated a high enhanced permeability and retention effect in these
tumor types. It has been suggested that patient selection in the form of pre-screening the
individual enhanced permeability and retention effect will develop the clinical potential of this
drug delivery system further.

Nanotechnology Drug Delivery for Infection Treatment

The use of nanotechnology for drug delivery is also being applied to infection treatment in light
of increasing strains of drug-resistant bacteria. Though the enhanced permeability and retention
effect is predominantly associated with cancer treatments, there are shared similarities in terms
of pathophysiological pathways that mean the effect could be utilized for infection treatment.
During infection, vasodilation rapidly occurs meaning the permeability of capillaries increases.

Although the retention effect in cancer tumors is due to the lack of a functioning lymphatic
system, studies have found rapid lymphatic clearance of small molecules during infection does
not occur as expected. In fact, dysfunctional lymphatic drainage is a characteristic of infection.
Nanoantibiotics will utilize this effect to enhance infection treatment via the application of both
nanoparticles with antimicrobial therapies and nanosized biological molecules for improved
antibiotic drug delivery.
Nanotechnology Drug Delivery for Treatment of Heart Disease

Nanotechnology is also being used to advance the delivery of drug treatments for heart disease.
Targeted drug delivery to diseased heart tissue can occur because inflammatory changes also
produce increased vascular permeability and retention of nanoscale molecules. Coronary artery
disease is the progressive plaque formation on the major arteries that can lead to heart failure.
Nanomedicine can be utilized as a valid treatment because the development of the disease occurs
at the cellular level. Current treatment of coronary artery disease chiefly consists of utilizing
statins, known to have dose-dependent side effects which limit their application. Nanotechnology
could produce targeted delivery of statins to the site of need, therefore reducing toxicity to other
cells.