Prospects and applications of nanobiotechnology: a medical perspective

BACKGROUND: Nanobiotechnology is the application of nanotechnology in biological fields. Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that currently recruits approach, technology and facility available in conventional as well as advanced avenues of engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. METHOD: A comprehensive review of the literature on the principles, limitations, challenges, improvements and applications of nanotechnology in medical science was performed. RESULTS: Nanobiotechnology has multitude of potentials for advancing medical science thereby improving health care practices around the world. Many novel nanoparticles and nanodevices are expected to be used, with an enormous positive impact on human health. While true clinical applications of nanotechnology are still practically inexistent, a significant number of promising medical projects are in an advanced experimental stage. Implementation of nanotechnology in medicine and physiology means that mechanisms and devices are so technically designed that they can interact with sub-cellular (i.e. molecular) levels of the body with a high degree of specificity. Thus therapeutic efficacy can be achieved to maximum with minimal side effects by means of the targeted cell or tissue-specific clinical intervention. CONCLUSION: More detailed research and careful clinical trials are still required to introduce diverse components of nanobiotechnology in random clinical applications with success. Ethical and moral concerns also need to be addressed in parallel with the new developments.