Nanomaterials for Medical Applications: Benefits and Risks
1University Politehnica of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
2University of Colorado, Colorado, USA
3Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
4University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
5University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
6Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
Nanomaterials for Medical Applications: Benefits and Risks
Description
Since they were discovered, nanomaterials were intensively studied for both industrial and medical applications. For the medical sector, one very important aspect which was not studied yet very well is the safety concerns related to the handling and use of these nanomaterials. Currently, scientists are trying to find out whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
Generally said, nanomaterials are expected to solve upsetting problems of the health sector through biosensors, contrast agents, and targeted drug vehicles that can act as antimicrobial or antitumoral agents. Unfortunately, the long-term implications are unknown. However, there are some nanomaterials which already have demonstrated threatening behavior. This special is intended to provide a comprehensive update in the field of nanomaterials, especially highlighting the benefits and risks related to the use of nanomaterials.
The special issue is intended to be structured in several subtopics, covering the most used nanomaterials for medical applications, including composite, ceramic, metallic, and polymeric nanomaterials. At least one representative of each class will be analyzed from the point of view of short, medium, and long-term toxicity.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Ceramic, metallic, and polymeric nanomaterials
- Carbon based nanomaterials
- Nanocomposites
- Mesoporous materials
- Tissue engineering and drug delivery systems
- Quantum dots for medical applications
- Safety, ethical, and legal issues on nanobiomaterials