Volume 6, Issue 3

Nanobiotechnology is an immensely potential invention, which is expected to bring about revolutionary changes in many aspects of essential human needs including medical treatments and foods. Although the technology has passed through its embryonic stage, its medical applications in preparing and delivering drugs to target cells of human bodies to cure incurable diseases are still under scientific scrutiny. A 2007 study suggests that Australia needs to have a review of its regulatory framework for nanotechnology by 2017. This article examines the current regulation of nanotechnology and its medical applications in Australia, and observes that it would be premature to impose any stringent regulation at this stage on medical experimentations. We are of the view that an excessively precautionary policy may hinder further research, which is critical to discovering the benefit and harm with certainty. Hence, in the greater interest of the facilitation of research and affirmation of benefits of this technology, we recommend that adopting a hybrid regulatory method composed of self-regulation and accommodating government regulation would be an appropriate policy approach to the regulation of nanobiotechnology. We also accept the need for a set of internationally harmonized policy principles to guide our actions in relation to this technology.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were developed 15 years ago and have been used for various purposes based on their unique chemical and physical properties. Recently, they have been highlighted as versatile media for the synthesis of noble metal nanomaterials. Although there are a few limitations, their vast chemical library of hydrogen bond donors and excellent solubility show great potential for their future applications for the synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles.

In the past decades, much attention has been paid to toxicity assessment of nanoparticles prior to clinical and biological applications. While in vitro studies have been increasing constantly, in vivo studies of nanoparticles have not established a unified system until now. Predictive models and validated standard methods are imperative. This review summarizes the current progress in approaches assessing nanotoxicity in main systems, including the hepatic and renal, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems. Histopathological studies and specific functional examinations in each system are elucidated. Related injury mechanisms are also discussed.

Breast cancer has been brought to the forefront of scientific research because of its increasing incidence as well as the growing demands to prolong the life span of patients and improve their quality of life. Paclitaxel (PTX), a small-molecule cytotoxic agent, is one of the most effective anti-cancer drugs against a variety of solid tumors, including breast cancer. Taxol ® , a commercial preparation of PTX, has been widely used for the treatment of breast cancer since its approval for use by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1994. However, further development is limited by its poor aqueous solubility and by P-gp substrate and complex synthesis caused by excipient (Cremophor EL) used. Thus, there exist an urgent need to design and develop new-generation formulations of PTX, especially nano-formulations, to maximize the therapeutic effects and minimize the side effects. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the treatment of breast cancer with different formulations of PTX.

The aim of this review is to cover advances in noble metal nanoparticle (MNP)-based biosensors and to outline the principles and main functions of MNPs in different classes of biosensors according to the transduction methods employed. The important biorecognition elements are enzymes, antibodies, aptamers, DNA sequences, and whole cells. The main readouts are electrochemical (amperometric and voltametric), optical (surface plasmon resonance, colorimetric, chemiluminescence, photoelectrochemical, etc.) and piezoelectric. MNPs have received attention for applications in biosensing due to their fascinating properties. These properties include a large surface area that enhances biorecognizers and receptor immobilization, good ability for reaction catalysis and electron transfer, and good biocompatibility. MNPs can be used alone and in combination with other classes of nanostructures. MNP-based sensors can lead to significant signal amplification, higher sensitivity, and great improvements in the detection and quantification of biomolecules and different ions. Some recent examples of biomolecular sensors using MNPs are given, and the effects of structure, shape, and other physical properties of noble MNPs and nanohybrids in biosensor performance are discussed.