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Nanotechnology for Treating Damaged Organs: A Collection of in vivo Studies

Thomas J. Webster 

Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, United States

Abstract

Nanobiotechnology is a growing area of research primarily due to the potentially numerous applications of new synthetic nanomaterials in engineering/science. Although various definitions have been given to the word "nanomaterials" by many different experts, the commonly accepted one refers nanomaterials as those materials which possess grains, particles, fibers, or other constituent components that have one dimension specifically less than 100 nm. For catalytic applications, it has been speculated that nanophase compared to conventional grain size materials increase the adsorption of species due to greater numbers of atoms at the surface, a higher surface area, increased grain boundaries at the surface, and less acidic OH- groups (due to a much larger proportion of edge sites to cause delocalization of electrons). For tissue engineering applications, the same novel properties of nanophase materials are being used to treat organ failure. Specifically, this talk will emphasize the numeorus advances both in vitro and in vivo that have been made towards increasing tissue regeneration using nanophase ceramics, metals, polymers, and composites of the above. Specifically, the talk will concentrate on studies which have focussed on the use of nanophase materials in orthopedic, dental, cartilage, bladder, vascular, and the central and peripheral nervous systems. In doing so, this talk will emphasize the promise that nanophase materials have for healing numerous damaged organs.

 

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Presentation: Invited oral at E-MRS Fall Meeting 2006, Symposium J, by Thomas J. Webster
See On-line Journal of E-MRS Fall Meeting 2006

Submitted: 2006-05-18 13:32
Revised:   2009-06-07 00:44