Nanotechnology in medicine will definitely play extremely important role. Nanotechnology and nanoengineering stand to produce significant science and technological advances in diverse fields including medicine and physiology.
Nanoengineered substrates can be designed to exhibit very specific and controlled bulk chemical and physical properties as a result of the control over their molecular synthesis and assembly.
For application in medicine and physiology, these nanomaterials and devices can be designed to interact with cells and tissues at a molecular (subcellular) level with a high degree of integration between technology and biological systems not previously attainable.
Recent advances in tissue engineering that have occurred at levels larger than the nanoscale include microelectromechanical systems biocompatible electronic devices that have a significant potential for improving the treatment of many disorders.
Nanoengineered materials and devices designed to interact with cells and tissues or carry out biologycally specific functions should offer a much greater degree of integration between technology and physiological systems.
At present, applied nanotechnology to medicine and physiology is in its infancy.
One example of such application includes novel drug delivery systems using nanoparticles or highly porous self-assembling bilayer tubule system. Another class of applications being developed is chemically functionalized dendrimers, highly branched molecules with a “tree-like” branching structure that can be used as molecular building blocks for gene therapy agents or as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.