For this discussion I chose the topics of Nanotechnology and
Synthetic Organs.
“Nano-robots, (or nanobots) will become the norm for specific drug
delivery systems on a cellular basis. Exact drugs in precise doses to
the exact cells may be performed at first by a trained physician and
then later automatically. Nanorobots will also be able to perform
minute surgical procedures such as removing cancerous cells or
repairing otherwise damaged cells. The treatment of various mental
illnesses will also be aided by nanobots (Diana, 2020.”)
Challenges facing nanotechnology: a
“Nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as any new
technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental
impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global
economics (Diana, 2020.”)
“Various types of nanoparticles (NPs), such as metal, metal oxide,
semiconductor, organic, and inorganic NPs, have been synthesized in
order to exploit their properties, which are associated with toxicity
and higher cost incurred. Various nanomaterials have triggered
unwanted allergic and other reactions that can be potentially harmful
to the body. Toxicity is a very complex concept in itself because it is
dependent on a diverse range of factors such as morphology, size,
dose, surface area, route, and duration of administration. This directs
our attention towards another area, which is the need to standardize
or personalize the use of nanomaterials. Furthermore, the reliability
and reproducibility of experiments involving NPs remains another
area that needs to be worked on. Since these are extremely small
entities, controlling their activity in sensitive environments is also
hard. Some other limitations are their high cost, the presence of
impurities, their environmental impacts. Another factor that we tend
to ignore is that the NPs have varying compositions, sizes, and shapes
and each of them has different impacts on living systems. Moreover,
the duration exposure, as well as the coating, aggregation, charge and
solubility of nanomaterials, also influence their performance. Despite
the sophisticated instruments and tools developed in recent times,
we still need to develop modern tools that can quickly characterize
synthetic nanomaterials, separately from existing analytical tools. We
are also in dire need of establishing standardized protocols to
synthesize these nanomaterials (Anjum, 2021.”)
Opportunities:
a “By 2030, nanobots are projected to advance towards amazing
breakthroughs in healthcare. By then, tiny nanobots will float through
our bloodstream on a mission to prevent sickness. Researchers
believe that nanobots could soon deliver drugs to humans with a high
degree of accuracy. This would allow for delivery of micro dosages
right where the patient needs them and could help prevent harmful
side effects. They could be used to monitor our body for maladies and
other symptoms, while transmitting information to a cloud for close
monitoring by medical staff (Diana,2020.”)
“Nanotechnology products have become increasingly useful in
healthcare and have led to the advent of novel nanosystems for the
diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of various diseases, such as cancer,
as well as cardiovascular, ocular, and central nervous system-related
diseases. In the field of drug delivery, nanosystems offer the precise
delivery of drugs to the target tissues or organs with a controlled
release and enhanced retention time as compared to conventional
techniques. Nano-liposomes are one of the best examples of the
nanosystems currently developed for targeted drug delivery to treat
various types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases (Anjum, 2021.”)
Brain disease treatments towards treatment of Alzheimer's,
Parkinsons, ALS, Huntington's, and Cystic Fibrosis is the future of
nanobots due to its lipid properties. “Fortunately, NPs are not only
valuable for genetic or neurodegenerative disorders; they have also
been manipulated to treat other severe neurological traumas, such as
in post-stroke neuroprotection and spinal cord injuries. These two
areas might sound very complex, but studies have proven over time
that nanotechnology can help to fight these severe diseases (Anjum,
2021.” “For instance, nanobots will be able to travel to one’s
Amygdala in the brain and deliver precise doses of medication to deal
with anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Rapid Emotional Processing (REP) will be the result of these drug
delivering nanobots (DaVinci, 2021.”)
Synthetic organs
“Synthetic organs will become the norm for hearts, livers, kidneys
and other vital parts of the human anatomy. But, synthetic organs will
fall short in some medical cases and a need for organ cloning will push
to the forefront. Organ cloning will grow in breath, depth and
worldwide acceptance after social issues and more are addressed.
The growth of this industry will be uneven and non-uniform across
the globe at first because conservative versus more liberal moral
belief systems will need to be negotiated.
“As these issues are addressed and the benefits of organ cloning are
witnessed as far as preserving life, extending life, keeping families and
friends together, longer, more money will be spent in this endeavor
(DaVinci, 2021.”)
Opportunities:
“Artificial organs could solve transplant shortages. artificial organs for
medical research for example “San Diego-based Organovo has been
at the forefront of commercializing 3-D bioprinting of tissues for
medical research” This application of artificial organs has tremendous
potential to accelerate the drug development process, lower costs,
and reduce the need for animal and clinical testing. Electronic skin:
Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and a highly complex
one. Recreating the skin involves imparting the sensations of touch,
pressure and temperature to the artificial material. Such an artificial
skin would no doubt be of great value to burn victims and patients
undergoing extensive surgery. Artificial Womb Raises Hope for
Premature Babies (Frost and Sullivan, 2017.”)
Challenges: a
“Post operative infections and physical complications are present
such as stroke, cognitive impairment and brain damage. Ethical issues
arise as patients needing organs usually have end-stage disease or are
critically ill, limiting their options. a Lung transplants are especially
risky as patients now must take medicine to prevent blood clots
terminally. They need multiple blood transfusions and intensive
therapy. There is also a risk of infection (Ryerson University.”)
Immunosuppressants are also costly- so patients and caregivers end
up in financial burdens trying to afford these life saving measures.
References
Anjum, S., Ishaque, S., Fatima, H., Farooq, W., Hano, C., Abbasi, B. H.,
& Anjum, I. (2021). Emerging Applications of Nanotechnology in
Healthcare Systems: Grand Challenges and Perspectives.
Pharmaceuticals, 14(8), 707. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14080707
DaVinci Surgical Systems, 2021/. Future Medical Technology.
https://www.futuretechnology500.com/index.php/future-medical-
technology/
Diana, Frank, December 18, 2020. Nanobots To Improve Our Health
and Someday Connect Our Minds.
https://frankdiana.net/2020/12/18/nanobots-to-improve-our-
health-and-someday- connect-our-minds/
Frost and Sullivan, 2017. Innovations in Artificial Organs.
https://aabme.asme.org/posts/innovations-in- artificial-organs
Ryerson University, Pros and Cons of Artificial Organs.
http://group1ryerson.weebly.com/pros- and-cons.html a
DISCUSSION 2
In the medical field, many treatment modalities are available for each
diagnosis made. There are always opportunities to choose a better
procedure/treatment. Accurate diagnoses yield better outcomes for
both the patient and the provider. a
“Clinical encounters between clinicians and patients begin with an
attempt at diagnosis, a foundational element in determining a
patient’s ultimate outcome. Diagnosis that is expedient and accurate
will result in a treatment that is expedient, appropriate and cost-
effective. In essence, evidence-based diagnosis is equally as vital as
evidence-based intervention and treatment. Sensitivity and
specificity directly address the accuracy of a diagnostic test because
they infer the probability of correct diagnostic test results. They are a
direct measure of the performance of the diagnostic test in
comparison to the benchmark reference standard (Aliu, 2012.”)
“Diagnosis has important implications for patient care, research, and
policy. Diagnosis has been described as both a process and a
classification scheme, or a “pre-existing set of categories agreed upon
by the medical profession to designate a specific condition.” When a
diagnosis is accurate and made in a timely manner, a patient has the
best opportunity for a positive health outcome because clinical
decision making will be tailored to a correct understanding of the
patient's health problem (Committee on Diagnostic Error, 2015.”)
"Over the past 100 years, diagnostic testing has become a critical
feature of standard medical practice. Diagnostic testing may occur in
successive rounds of information gathering, integration, and
interpretation, as each round of information refines the working
diagnosis. Medical imaging plays a critical role in establishing the
diagnoses for innumerable conditions and it is used routinely in nearly
every branch of medicine. The advancement of imaging technologies
has improved the ability of clinicians to detect, diagnose, and treat
conditions while also allowing patients to avoid more invasive
procedures (Committee on Diagnostic Error, 2015.”)
References
Aliu, O., & Chung, K. C. (2012). Assessing strength of evidence in
diagnostic tests. Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 129(6), 989e–
998e. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e31824ecd61
Committee on Diagnostic Error in Health Care; Board on Health Care
Services; Institute of Medicine; The National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine; Balogh EP, Miller BT, Ball JR, editors,
December 29, 2015. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK338593/
