Nanomedicine, Volume IIA: Biocompatibility
© 2003 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.
Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume IIA: Biocompatibility, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 2003
Nanomedicine
“Compatibility” most broadly refers to the suitability of two distinct systems or classes of things to be mixed or taken together without unfavorable results. More specifically, the safety, effectiveness, and utility of medical nanorobotic devices will critically depend upon their biocompatibility with human organs, tissues, cells, and biochemical systems. Classical biocompatibility has often focused on the immunological and thrombogenic reactions of the body to foreign substances placed within it. In this Volume, we broaden the definition of nanomedical biocompatibility to include all of the mechanical, physiological, immunological, cytological, and biochemical responses of the human body to the introduction of medical nanodevices, whether “particulate” or “bulk” in form. That is, medical nanodevices may include large doses of independent micron-sized individual nanorobots, or alternatively may include macroscale nanoorgans (nanorobotic organs) assembled either as solid objects or built up from trillions of smaller artificial cells or docked nanorobots inside the body. We also discuss the effects on the nanorobot of being placed inside the human body.
“This Volume will be a seminal contribution not only to the nanotechnology
literature, but to medicine in general.”
– Lawrence Rosenberg, M.D.,
Ph.D., Professor of Surgery and Medicine, Director of the Division of Surgical
Research, McGill University
“I believe this book will serve as an excellent reference for investigators
with specific problems as well as a good overview of specific subject areas.
I tend to focus on those sections dealing with investigating and demonstrating
the safety of nanorobots, and to the development of a new drug delivery system
or nanorobots used to monitor or repair biological systems. There are many issues
to be concerned about in developing such devices and this book has touched on
nearly every one of them. As with Volume
I, this book is filled with useful references and raises many important
issues to be considered in moving forward with the design and creation of nanorobots
for medical purposes. I enjoyed reading it.”
– Cecilia A. Haberzettl, Ph.D.;
President, TechnoMed Strategic Partners, Inc.
“The chapters reflect an excellent level of scholarship, with an impressive
breadth of survey for the literature.”
– Stephen S. Flitman, M.D.,
Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute
“This new Volume is an erudite, scholarly follow-up to Volume I that
covers the gamut from biophysics and chemistry to immunology, microbiology,
and engineering in one book. Its scope and originality are extraordinary, addressing
questions that nobody ever had to think about before. A lot of the questions
raised can only be answered empirically by actually building devices and testing
them in animals for toxicity and then human clinical trials.”
– L. Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D.,
Co-Founder, Los Angeles Gerontology Research Group
“Impressive body of work. The scope is amazing.”
– Owen P. Hamill, Ph.D., Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch
“Freitas demonstrates his ability to temper the fantastic potential of
nanorobotics with legitimate concerns about their safety. I concur with his
conclusions with regards to the need for stringent investigation into the safety
of diamondoid substances for use in nanomedicine.”
– Michael Prater, M.D.
“...well written and thoroughly researched discussion of nanomaterials
that can be potentially applied in nanorobot fabrication. The discussion of
thermocompatibility is one of the very important parts of biocompatibility that
very few people have studied.”
– Bai Xu, Ph.D., Senior Research
Scientist, NYS Center for Advanced Thin Film Technology
Last updated on 30 April 2004