Engineering imaging probes and molecular machines for nanomedicine

Science China Life Sciences, Oct 2012

Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, life sciences and medicine; it is expected to produce major breakthroughs in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Due to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures and devices with proteins and nucleic acids, the design, synthesis and application of nanoprobes, nanocarriers and nanomachines provide unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic improvements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention. Recent advances in nanomedicine include the development of functional nanoparticle based molecular imaging probes, nano-structured materials as drug/gene carriers for in vivo delivery, and engineered molecular machines for treating single-gene disorders. This review focuses on the development of molecular imaging probes and engineered nucleases for nanomedicine, including quantum dot bioconjugates, quantum dot-fluorescent protein FRET probes, molecular beacons, magnetic and gold nanoparticle based imaging contrast agents, and the design and validation of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) for gene targeting. The challenges in translating nanomedicine approaches to clinical applications are discussed.

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Engineering imaging probes and molecular machines for nanomedicine

Tong S, Cradick T J, Ma Y, et al. Engineering imaging probes and molecular machines for nanomedicine. Sci China Life Sci Engineering imaging probes and molecular machines for nanomedicine TONG Sheng 1 CRADICK Thomas J. 1 MA Yan 0 DAI ZhiFei 0 0 Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University , Atlanta, GA 30332 , USA Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, life sciences and medicine; it is expected to produce major breakthroughs in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Due to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures and devices with proteins and nucleic acids, the design, synthesis and application of nanoprobes, nanocarriers and nanomachines provide unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic improvements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention. Recent advances in nanomedicine include the development of functional nanoparticle based molecular imaging probes, nano-structured materials as drug/gene carriers for in vivo delivery, and engineered molecular machines for treating single-gene disorders. This review focuses on the development of molecular imaging probes and engineered nucleases for nanomedicine, including quantum dot bioconjugates, quantum dot-fluorescent protein FRET probes, molecular beacons, magnetic and gold nanoparticle based imaging contrast agents, and the design and validation of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) for gene targeting. The challenges in translating nanomedicine approaches to clinical applications are discussed. - Citation: Nanomedicine is an emerging field that integrates nanotechnology, biomolecular engineering, biology, and medicine [ 1 ]. It focuses on the development of engineered nano-scale (1100 nm) materials, structures and devices for better diagnostics and highly specific medical intervention in curing disease or repairing damaged tissues. As a basis for nanomedicine, nanotechnology is the science, engineering, and technology related to the understanding and control of matter at the nano-scale, and the development of materials, devices, and systems that have novel properties and functions due to their nano-scale dimensions or components. Nanotechnology also provides new abilities to measure, control and manipulate matter (including soft matter) at the nano-scale what was unthinkable with conventional tools. Owing to the size-compatibility of nano-scale structures with proteins and nucleic acids in living cells, nanomedicine approaches have the potential to provide unprecedented opportunities for achieving a better control of biological processes, and drastic improvements in disease detection, therapy, and prevention, thus revolutionizing medicine. Over the last ten years or so, significant efforts have been made in the US, China, Europe and elsewhere to develop nanomedicine. For example, the US National Institutes of Health has developed a nanomedicine centers network, and invested a significant amount of research funding to nanomedicine development. Just in FY 2009 (Oct. 1, 2008Sept. 30, 2009), the total NIH funding in nanotechnology/ nanoscience projects was more than 410 million US dollars. Many potential applications of nanomedicine have been, or are being, explored, including nanoparticle-based molecular imaging probes for biological studies and disease detection; nano-carriers for targeted in vivo drug/gene delivery in more efficient therapy, and nuclease-based nano-devices for treating single-gene disorders. For basic biological studies, the development of new nano-scale tools and devices have the potential to permit imaging of cellular structures at the nano scale, rapid measurement of the dynamic behavior of protein complexes and molecular assemblies in living cells and animals, and a better control of intracellular machinery. It is expected that the multifunctional, targeted nanoparticles are capable of overcoming biological barriers to deliver therapeutic agents preferentially to diseased cells and tissues at high local concentrations, resulting in much enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity. Nanomedicine approaches have the potential to allow clinicians to detect a disease in its earliest, most easily treatable, presymptomatic stage, and provide real-time assessments of therapeutic and surgical outcome. Nano-scale tools may also be used to quickly identify new disease targets for drug development and predict drug resistance. In this review, we will focus on nano-structured and nanoparticle-based molecular imaging probes, including fluorescence imaging probes and nanoparticle contrast agents for MRI, PET, and CT, and molecular machines using engineered nucleases for gene targeting. Due to space limitations, this is not intended to be a comprehensive review (...truncated)


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Sheng Tong, Thomas J. Cradick, Yan Ma, ZhiFei Dai, Gang Bao. Engineering imaging probes and molecular machines for nanomedicine, Science China Life Sciences, 2012, pp. 843-861, Volume 55, Issue 10, DOI: 10.1007/s11427-012-4380-1