Medical Applications of Nanotechnology

Timothy E. Morey, M.D.Associate Professor of Anesthesiology

University of Florida

How small is nano?

Scale:Nanoscale

$151,700: 1/100th cent

Acre: 1/100th square inch

Decade: 1/3rd secondE. Corcoran. The Next Small Thing.E. Corcoran. The Next Small Thing.Forbes MagazineForbes Magazine, 07/23/01 , 07/23/01

Nanotechnology Growth

S. Milunovich, J. Roy. United States Technology Strategy. Merrill Lynch. 4 Sept. 2001

Smart Nanostructures for Selective Drug Delivery

Scale: 1/40th of red blood cell

Nanotube

Nanocap

Drug Delivery for:

#1 - Cardiovascular disease

#2 – Cancer

#3 - Infectious diseases

Toxin Removal for:

Adverse drug reactions >106,000 deaths/yr

Pesticide Poisonings >220,000 deaths/yr

Video Clip

NanoMedical DiagnosticsTargets:

- drug overdose- brain trauma- disease markers

Where:- hospital- law enforcement- homeland security

Why the University of Florida?Comprehensive university on a compact campus

Institutional support and priority (2002)“…biotechnology, particularly at the interface of medicine and nanoscience.”

Interdisciplinary faculty with critical mass and focus

Active OTL partner with a biotechnology incubator

NanoMedical Research Center

Vision: Create and harness nano-structured material technologies for the prevention, detection and treatment of diseases in order to enhance the public health and to expand the Florida and national economies

Focus: Develop nanostructures for medical diagnostics and therapeutics

Funding: State of Florida Centers of Excellence $19.9 million for FY2003-07 with milestones

Product: Knowledge / Publications / Translational SciencePrototypes and IP for OTL licensure

Additional Slides to Answer Questions

MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies

Vision: lighter, faster, more agile force using nanotech.

Focus: use nanotechnology to dramatically improve the survival and lethality of soldiers

Faculty: 40 faculty in eight academic departments>100 students and postdocs11 supportive staff members

Funding: United States Army5 year, $50 million grant beginning

FY2002

Product: create a battlesuit that combines high-techcapabilities with light weight and comfort

What is nanotechnology

• Creation of functional materials, devices, and systems.

• Control of matter on the nanometer (1-100 nm) length scale.

• Exploitation of novel properties and phenomena developed at that scale.

What is nano?Power Prefix Origins

1012 tera teras: monster

109 giga gigas: giant

106 mega megas: large

103 kilo chilioi: thousand

10-3 milli milli: thousand

10-6 micro mikros: small

10-9 nano nanos: dwarf

Why is the nanometer scale different?

1. The wavelike properties of electrons inside matter are influenced by variations on the nanometer scale.

2. The systematic organization of matter on the nanometer length scale is a key feature of biological systems.

3. Nanoscale components have very high surface areas.

4. The finite size of material entities, determine an increase of the relative importance of surface tension and local electromagnetic effects.

5. The interaction wavelength scales of various external wave phenomena become comparable to the material entity size.

"There's plenty of room at the bottom." 

Richard P. Feynman, Ph.D.

Nanotechnology Applications

• stain resistant textiles

• information recording layers

• adaptive camouflage

• body armor

• high hardness cutting tools

• chemical and bio-detectors

• advanced drug delivery systems

Who else is interested?

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY)•focus on physical nanotechnology

Rice University (Houston, TX)•focus on environment and carbon nanotubes

Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)•origins in materials engineering

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)•invested in therapeutics

Why Florida?

Why Nano-Medical in Florida?

• Targets key industries in Florida– Pharmaceuticals

– Analytical Instruments

– Medical Devices

• 3 of the 10 highest wage Florida industries

• 3 times as many jobs exist in these industries as in Florida’s IT industries

Florida – Profile of the State Economy; M. Porter; Harvard Business School; Prepared for Gov Bush; 2002

State of Florida Center of Excellence

State of Florida•$30 million for 2-5 Centers of Excellence•Grants solicited in 2002 for FY2003 commencement

NanoMedical Research Center•Focused on nanomedical therapeutics and diagnostics•Collaboration of chemists, engineers, medical researchers•Requested $20 million

Ranked 3rd of 16 applicant centers•Awards: UCF, UF (regenerative medicine), FAU

UF Strategic Plan: Priority Areas

• Cancer and Genetics

• Research on the Brain

• Biotechnology – Interface of Medical Science and Nanoscience

• Aging

• Children and Families

• Ecology/Environment

UF Unique Capabilities - Programs

Deliverables Pipeline

Pesticide detoxification Drug detox

Bacteriorhodopsin-based data storage

Microemulsion formulation technology

Biophotonics-based detection of disease

Nanoengineered pulmonary drug delivery systems

Knowledge of bio-nano toxicity

Nanosensors for management of traumatic brain injury

Smart nanostructures for targeted drug delivery

2003 2005 20092004 2006 2007 2008

Breath detection of drugs Breath detection of diseases

Flexible device/system integration

De

live

rab

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Chip-based drug delivery system

Milestones: Diagnostics

• Incorporate reporter molecule into nanotubes

• Decorate surface with appropriate targeting

• Couple target recognition with uncapping

• Detect reporter molecule in blood and breath

• Use in diseased animal model

• Use in cells lines of cancer