Application of Nanotechnology in Medicine

Application of Nanotechnology in Medicine

Discussion & Analysis

Nanotechnology Market

Nanotechnology has become a reality, as evidenced by the rapidly growing market for products made with its use. However, due to the versatility of this science and the widest range of devices that are made to its application, it is difficult to assess the market potential of such products at this stage. According to U.S. National Science Foundation in 2001, the annual market turnover of goods, products made with nanotechnology by 2015 will reach USD1 trillion. Difficulties in assessing the size of the market begin with a definition of scientific knowledge as "nanotechnology" and that relate to the products of the market at present. Several factors, such as "market development over time" (the bulk of the success of the products of this production, the search for new applications of products and the time required for mass production and introduction of products), potential obstacles to the implementation of products and global economic growth, play an important role in the implementation of such an assessment. Despite the fact that the commercialization of nanotechnology is just beginning production from its use has reached USD30 billion in 2005. It is estimated that by 2014 the volume of global food production to the application of nanotechnology to reach USD2, 6 trillion.

Currently in the United States opened more than 600 companies, whose activities are based on the production and sale of devices, nanotechnology, and products made with their application, and issued 3966 patents since 1985 (according to the Association of German Engineers «Kommerzialisierung der Nanotechnologie, 2006"). It is not strange, taking into account the fact that the largest source of funding for nanotechnology projects around the world is North America's (investment the United States alone in 2005 amounted to approximately USD4 billion, or 41% of global investment in this area of ??science), followed by Asia (Japan, South Korea and China) and Europe. The main source of financing in the U.S. steel corporation (USD1, 9 billion), followed by the government (USD1, 7 billion), the third - Venture capital (USD460 million). During the same period, Asia and Europe have invested USD3, 4, and USD2, 06 billion, respectively. If the main sources of financing in Asia have become the government and corporations, in Europe - only the government (the share of financing accounted for 60% of funds) (Mongillo, 2007).

Nanomedicine is considered that certain fields can be a real revolution, especially of: monitoring (images), tissue repair, control of the evolution of disease, protecting and improving the human biological system, diagnosis, treatment and prevention, pain relief, health prevention, drug administration cells, etc. They constitute new technological advances in medicine that would position a new era of science and care.

This field has had some recent scientific advances which have lead to what would was considered science fiction in medicine till the recent past. Biosensors, new ways of giving more direct and effective drugs and the development of new materials for implants, among others, are some of the advances in ...