Abstract

NANOMEDICINE AND IT’S APPLICATIONS IN CANCER TREATMET

Sisira Raveendran and Varuna P. Panicker*

Abstract

Nanotechnology, although not a new concept, has gained significant momentum in recent years. The prefix ‘nano’ is derived from a Greek word, which means dwarf. The term nanotechnology describes the fabrication of new materials with nanoscale dimensions between 1 and 100nm. One of the most promising application of nanotechnology is in the field of medicine. A new field of nanomedicine is emerging. Nanomedicine has been defined as monitoring, repair, construction and control of human biological systems at the molecular level using engineered nanodevices and nanostructures. Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent advances in nanotechnology offered a new hope for cancer detection, prevention and treatment. Chemotherapy is a powerful adjuvant therapy, but undesirable side effects remain a significant challenge. Nanomedicine can overcome this challenge by its unique properties like small particle size, targeted drug delivery, reduced side effects and low cost.

Keywords: Nanomedicine, Nanoparticles, Drug delivery, Green nanoparticles.