Nanotechnology: New Research Shows Its Advancements & Impacts on Human Health Issues

China's active nanotech-based research has resulted in several new advancements with broad applications. Nanosensors that have recently been developed can be used to detect toxic environmental pollutants such as chromium; novel medical technologies can be used to enable point-of-care testing for clinical diagnosis and drug analysis, and they can even provide sustained and controlled drug release.

As a result, these new technologies are expected to usher in a new era of better healthcare at the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment levels.

Nanotechnology research has found applications in a wide range of fields, including medicine and drug development, as well as aeronautics and automobiles. A recent series of studies published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis by Chinese researchers have advanced nanotechnology research.

Carbon Nanodots from Poria Mushrooms:

Researchers from the Anhui University of Chinese Medicine set out to solve the problems caused by chromium contamination in the environment, which is a carcinogen. They created carbon nanodots with natural polysaccharides from Poria mushrooms, which have no pharmacological activity. These nanodots worked as an "on-off" fluorescent probe capable of detecting environmental chromium.

In terms of applications, the researchers state, "These nanodots, with their low-cost source material, enable cost-effective and quick chromium detection, and their efficacy has been demonstrated using actual water samples. They also represent a new avenue for the non-pharmacological application of traditional Chinese medicines, which could aid in the prevention of serious health issues."

Researchers from Chongqing Medical University and Chongqing Normal University discovered a way to regulate the peroxidase activity of molybdenum-based quantum dots that acted as "nanozymes" in another study published in the journal (small artificial enzymes). In the presence of a specific drug, these enzymes caused a colour change, and the intensity of the colour change reflected the concentration of the drug.

According to the researchers, "Depending on the intensity of the colour change, these nanosensors could be used to detect drug concentrations. As a result, they could be used to create robust pharmaceutical detection platforms, making drug assays and diagnosis easier and thus improving healthcare standards."

Lanzhou University researchers used nanotechnology to develop better drug formulations in the final study, which was made available online on March 9, 2021, and published in Volume 12 Issue 1 February 2022 of the journal. Controlled drug release aids in the more effective targeting of tumours and cancer, but there are few approaches that allow controlled drug release in a tumour's intracellular microenvironment. As a result, researchers created a high-drug-content mixed drug self-delivery system (DSDS) containing two forms of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. This system provided pH-triggered drug release that could be adjusted by adjusting the ratio of the two drug forms.

Surprisingly, laboratory tests revealed that the slow-release mixed DSDS nanoparticles were extremely effective at killing cancer cells. "As a result, this platform could serve as a suitable treatment system in the future, providing improved patient outcomes," the researchers conclude.

(Source: Phys.org)