Analytical challenges in nanomedicine

Nanomedicine is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary research area bridging biology, medicine, engineering, chemistry, material science, and nanotechnology. In recent years, nanotechnology has developed an increasing impact on medical research and practice by taking advantage of the unique properties and dimensions of nanoscale materials, structures, and devices. New approaches applying nanotechnology in medicine are continuously being discovered and range from the localized application of therapeutics via nanoparticles to single molecule detection at the cellular level. Hence, the emerging research area of nanomedicine focuses on nanoscale science and technology facilitating the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and traumatic injury, the relief of pain, and the preservation and improvement of human health utilizing molecular level tools providing advanced insight into the associated biological processes. Consequently, taking advantage of the nanotechnology revolution in the medical sciences requires the development of complementary analytical techniques and methods for probing health relevant biological processes, disease pathologies, and therapeutic progress at a cellular and molecular scale with appropriate spatial and temporal resolution. The importance of this field was recognized by government agencies and institutions such as the Food and Drug Administration USA, which cited nanomedicine as an area of future priority in its 2006 report [1]. Furthermore, large-scale initiatives in this field are supported by the National Institutes of Health in the USA, which funds eight so-called Nanomedicine Development Centers [2] and by the European Union within a variety of initiatives. For example, within the EuroNanoMed Joint Transnational Calls in 2009 and 2010, 17 million Euros of research funding were allocated for research projects in regenerative medicine, diagnostics, and targeted delivery systems taking advantage of nanotechnology; these initiatives will be followed by a third call in 2011. The European Science Foundation has documented the potential benefits of nanomedicine in a series of reports providing a forward perspective on nanomedicine starting in 2003 [3]. However, the emerging field of nanomedicine faces several challenges including the general complexity of biological systems interacting with nanoscale materials and devices, the translation of novel measurement concepts and methods into daily clinical routine, and concerns about the safety, potential toxicity, and efficacy of nanoscale medical devices, diagnostic techniques, and materials [4]. In general, it is evident that the majority of research published under the umbrella of nanomedicine is related to nanoparticles and polymeric drug release, which are probably the topics with the most imminent impact in this field. Currently, there are more than 400 ongoing clinical trials involving nanotechnology; the majority of which are for cancer treatment [5].