A nanotechnology application

Nanotechnology Application
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NANOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATION
A drug delivering technology based on the nanotechnology: chemotherapy.
Introduction
Chemotherapy is the employment of medical substances such as light, drugs and sound rays into the affected cells. In most cases the process of destroying the affected cells such as in the case of cancer, many other healthy cells are destroyed. This in turn leaves the patients with a number of side effects. Nanotechnology has taken its plight in medicine. The new technology is being used in employing drugs, light among other substances to particular specific cells. The nano-particles are designed in order to attract the affected cells hence allowing direct treatment of the affected cells without harming other healthy cells. The technology is of an inevitable advantage in the medicine field.
How the technology works
The technology enhances earlier detection of the diseases and reduces the chances of destroying unaffected cells. The technology has a range of particles of about 150-nm in diameter (the nano-particles) that are generated from a biodegradable polymer poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) and poly (ethylene glycol). Drugs are encapsulated into the nano-particles that are attached to RNA strands called aptamers on the surface of each particular particle. In cases of cancer, aptamers are designed in a way that they could bind to the specific prostrate antigen membrane; this is because different aptamers bind only to specific type of proteins. An aptamer is attached on the membrane of specific prostate cancer cells. The PSMA antigens are expressed on the surface of the affected cells from where the nanoparticles dissolve and are taken up by the prostate cancer cells and they release the docetaxel. The adoption of the nanotechnology in medicine and chemotherapy would be a great achievement in fighting many diseases through the incorporation of various drugs.
How it was used to solve a particular problem
The nanotechnology has been used in various ways in the field of medicine especially in the treatment of cancer. There are various treatments to cancer such as radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. However patient relapse is common after the treatment. With chemotherapy as the most effective in the present day therapy, there are various side effects attached to the treatment. This is because the drugs and the therapy are unable to selectively target the affected cells. This has led to development of drug resistant cells in the body. This tends to limit the optimization of combining various clinical drugs for effective chemotherapy.
However, the nanotechnology has the solution to this problem. This is because the nano-particles are characterized by effective encapsulation of drugs, specificity, controllable self assembly and biocompatibility because of their own material properties. Because of the unique nano-scale size of t...