Shape, not just size, impacts effectiveness of emerging nanomedicine therapies

In the budding field of nanotechnology, scientists already know that size does matter.

But now, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that shape matters even more a finding that could lead to new and more effective methods for treating cancer and other diseases, from diabetes and multiple sclerosis to arthritis and obesity.

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Brown researchers work toward ending cartilage loss

Brown University nanotechnology engineer Thomas Webster has published a first-ever study that shows how a surface of carbon nanotubes combined with electrical pulses could help regenerate cartilage naturally in the body.

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Using nanotechnology, researchers discover cancer cells ‘feel’ much softer than normal cells

Method may provide a new diagnostic tool for cancer
A multidisciplinary team of UCLA scientists were able to differentiate metastatic cancer cells from normal cells in patient samples using leading-edge nanotechnology that measures the softness of the cells.

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Remote-control nanoparticles deliver drugs directly into tumors

MIT scientists have devised remotely controlled nanoparticles that, when pulsed with an electromagnetic field, release drugs to attack tumors. The innovation, reported in the Nov. 15 online issue of Advanced Materials, could lead to the improved diagnosis and targeted treatment of cancer.

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Nanoballs deliver drugs

Dutch researcher Cristianne Rijcken has developed a new type of biodegradable nanoparticle. The spherical structures can encapsulate various fat-soluble medicines, which makes it easier to target tumour tissue. These nanoballs are highly promising carriers for the controlled release of anticancer drugs. Rijcken recently gained her doctorate for this research from Utrecht University.

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Developing a modular, nanoparticle drug delivery system

There are two aspects to creating an effective drug: finding a chemical compound that has the desired biological effect and minimal side-effects and then delivering it to the right place in the body for it to do its job.

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Bone-Growing Nanomaterial Could Improve Orthopaedic Implants

Bone-forming cells grow faster and produce more calcium on anodized titanium covered in carbon nanotubes compared with plain anodized titanium and the non-anodized version currently used in orthopaedic implants, new Brown University research shows. The work, published in Nanotechnology, uncovers a new material that can be used to make more successful implants. The research also shows tantalizing promise for an all-new device: a smart implant that can sense and report on bone growth.

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New nanoparticle vaccine is more effective and less expensive

Good news for public health: Bioengineering researchers from the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed and patented a nanoparticle that can deliver vaccines more effectively, with fewer side effects, and at a fraction of the cost of current vaccine technologies.

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Nanotechnology helps identify molecular signature common to Lou Gehrig’s disease

A nanotechnology developed by a University at Buffalo professor has enabled researchers to identify a molecular signature common to both familial and sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
It is the first time that a common molecular signature has been found in patients with both familial and sporadic cases, where no other family members have the disease, of ALS.

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New cancer weapon: nuclear nanocapsules

Nanotubes packing powerful alpha-emitters could target lone cancer cells
HOUSTON, Aug. 23, 2007 Rice University chemists have found a way to package some of nature’s most powerful radioactive particles inside DNA-sized tubes of pure carbon — a method they hope to use to target tiny tumors and even lone leukemia cells.

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