nanoparticles

MIT scientists say they've found a new way to silence disease-causing genes in specific tissues using RNA interference

New nanotechnology consumer products are coming on the U.S. market at the rate of 3-4 per week, according to the latest update to the nanotechnology consumer product inventory maintained by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN).

Environmental groups are warning that advances in the science of nanotechnology are racing ahead of public policy with neither consumers, regulators nor scientists fully aware of the toxicity of so-called nanoparticles. They are further calling on the European Union to introduce mandatory labelling on all products that contain them and develop strict safety laws on the basis of health and environmental risk assessment.

The only way for doctors to verify that cancer drugs are reaching a patient's tumor is to scan patients after weeks of treatments to see if the tumor has shrunk. In the hopes of shortening this process, improving outcomes for cancer patients, and reducing the side effects of chemotherapy, MIT engineers are developing remote-controlled, multipurpose nanoparticles. These compounds act as both precise drug-delivery vehicles and contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Is this another case of 'big brother?' Nah, its just the invisible hand of DARPA driving innovative medical research. Apparently, during Desert Storm more soldiers suffered from bacterial infections than bullet holes, so DARPA started looking into textiles with antibacterial properties. Self-cleaning fabrics could revolutionize the sport apparel industry. The same technology, created by scientists working for the U.S. Air Force, has already been used to create t-shirts and underwear that can be worn hygenically for weeks without washing.