Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications: The Onset of Nanomedicine

Abstract

Given their unique properties, the nanostructural materials have found a large number of applications in medicine and biology. Some of these applications range from cell visualization, specific targeting and destruction of cancer cells, drug and gene delivery, or scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Novel multifunctional nanomaterials with magnetic properties and graphitic shells were synthesized and were found to act as strong thermal agents for cellular thermal ablation under radio frequency excitation. Also carbon-based nanomaterials were found to synergistically enhance the activity of anti -cancer drugs, opening the possibility of complex approaches for cancer treatment. Keywords: carbon nanotubes (CNTs); magnetic nanoparticles; anti-cancer drugs; radio frequency; cancer cells