Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, life sciences and medicine; it is expected to produce major breakthroughs in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Due to the...Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, life sciences and medicine; it is expected to produce major breakthroughs in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Due to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures and devices with proteins and nucleic acids, the design, synthesis and application of nanoprobes, nanocarders and nanomachines provide unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic im- provements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention. Recent advances in nanomedicine include the development of func- tional nanoparticle based molecular imaging probes, nano-structured materials as drug/gene carders for in vivo delivery, and engineered molecular machines for treating single-gene disorders. This review focuses on the development of molecular imag- ing probes and engineered nucleases for nanomedicine, including quantum dot bioconjugates, quantum dot-fluorescent protein FRET probes, molecular beacons, magnetic and gold nanoparticle based imaging contrast agents, and the design and validation of zinc finger nucleases （ZFNs） and TAL effector nucleases （TALENs） for gene targeting. The challenges in translating nano- medicine approaches to clinical applications are discussed.展开更多
基金supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health(NIH) as a Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology Award(Grant No.HHSN268201000043C to Bao Gang)an NIH Nanomedicine Development Center Award(Grant No.PN2 EY018244 to Bao Gang)
文摘Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, life sciences and medicine; it is expected to produce major breakthroughs in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Due to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures and devices with proteins and nucleic acids, the design, synthesis and application of nanoprobes, nanocarders and nanomachines provide unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic im- provements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention. Recent advances in nanomedicine include the development of func- tional nanoparticle based molecular imaging probes, nano-structured materials as drug/gene carders for in vivo delivery, and engineered molecular machines for treating single-gene disorders. This review focuses on the development of molecular imag- ing probes and engineered nucleases for nanomedicine, including quantum dot bioconjugates, quantum dot-fluorescent protein FRET probes, molecular beacons, magnetic and gold nanoparticle based imaging contrast agents, and the design and validation of zinc finger nucleases （ZFNs） and TAL effector nucleases （TALENs） for gene targeting. The challenges in translating nano- medicine approaches to clinical applications are discussed.
