The New York Times’ feature about nanotechnology is out today. And there is plenty on nanomedicine in there. Here is a sample:
Shrinking some medicines to nanoparticle size could improve effectiveness.
As a possible drug for kidney patients, Altair Nanotechnologies of Reno, Nev., has developed nanoparticles of lanthanum dioxycarbonate. The chemical – the planned brand name is RenaZorb – binds to phosphate, a waste product that builds up because failing kidneys no longer remove it. The binding prevents it from entering tissues in the first place.
Here, the advantage of small is the surface area. For the same amount of material, small particles have more surface, allowing a small amount of the drug to absorb large amounts of phosphate. Patients would only need one tablet of RenaZorb a meal, compared with the two or three per meal required by competing drugs, said Dr. Alan J. Gotcher, Altair’s chief executive.
Read the whole thing.