Nanotechnology Applications in Vascular Disease

Abstract

The confluence of nanotechnology and medicine: Nanomedicine is poised to revolutionize the delivery of health care to individuals and populations in the 21st century. Every medical specialty stands to be impacted as emerging nanotechnologies propel modalities for prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Medical interventions targeting vascular disease are becoming increasingly important, given current epidemiologic trends in morbidity and mortality due to these diseases. Vascular disease is a term that encompasses a collection of pathologies that affect the vessels (arteries, veins, and lymphatics) or vasculature in the body. The purpose of this article is to highlight current and emerging nanotechnologies aimed at vascular disease. Select, clinically relevant examples are described in the categories of drugs and drug delivery, imaging, sensors, biomaterials, diagnostics, and novel therapeutics. Several promising nanomedicine applications that target vascular disease are currently under various stages of development from bench top research to clinical trials. Given the rate of investment, promising research results and progression of many products to market nanomedicine applications in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular disease holds great promise for improving the stand of care.

Nanoparticles for Detection and Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease

“…Thus, there is an absolute need for new, improved diagnostic strategies for PAD, especially those that can identify various stages of this disease. Through nanotechnology, investigators and clinicians employ the use of very small structures often less than 100 nm, to effectively localize and determine events occurring in ailing vessels . Developed imaging tools help to detect PAD early and determine what therapeutic route will work best for eradicating disease in the patient in particular, and the overall population in general ( Figure ).…”