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Review
. 2017 Apr;9(2):79-89.
doi: 10.1007/s12551-016-0246-2. Epub 2017 Jan 13.

Biomedical applications of nanotechnology

Ana P Ramos  1 , Marcos A E Cruz  2 , Camila B Tovani  2 , Pietro Ciancaglini  2
Affiliations
Review

Biomedical applications of nanotechnology

Ana P Ramos et al. Biophys Rev. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

The ability to investigate substances at the molecular level has boosted the search for materials with outstanding properties for use in medicine. The application of these novel materials has generated the new research field of nanobiotechnology, which plays a central role in disease diagnosis, drug design and delivery, and implants. In this review, we provide an overview of the use of metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-nanotubes, liposomes, and nanopatterned flat surfaces for specific biomedical applications. The chemical and physical properties of the surface of these materials allow their use in diagnosis, biosensing and bioimaging devices, drug delivery systems, and bone substitute implants. The toxicology of these particles is also discussed in the light of a new field referred to as nanotoxicology that studies the surface effects emerging from nanostructured materials.

Keywords: Inorganic particles; Liposomes; Nanobiotechnology; Nanopatterned surfaces.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interests

Ana P. Ramos declares that she has no conflicts of interest. Marcos A.E. Cruz declares that he has no conflicts of interest. Camila B. Tovani declares that she has no conflicts of interest. Pietro Ciancaglini declares that he has no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Nanobiotechnology and its main tools
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Correlation between the main chemical and physical properties of the surface of nanoparticles and the end nanobiotechnological application of nanomaterials
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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