Nanotechnology in Medicine Student Handout
Created by UnderstandingNano.com

This lesson was created to give you an introduction to the applications of nanotechnology in medicine (nanomedicine).

I. The Concept of Nanomedicine

Defination: Nanomedicine -The use of nanotechnology to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease.

Question: Imagine that someday doctors will be able to work with or repair cells in the human body. What do you think that might enable them to do?

Reading 1: Read the Nanotechnology in Medicine page ( www.understandingnano.com/medicine.html ).

Discussion 1: Discuss the basic concepts of nanotechnology in medicine, which might include these topics:

You learned in this introduction that scientists are exploring the use of manufactured nano-robots to make repairs at the cellular level. Go to the Nano-robots In Medicine page and read the article. As a group come up with a definition and brief description of what a nanorobot is and list three ways it might be used.
Dramatic changes to the way we treat patients are likely to come about with the use of nanotechnology. Discuss other revolutions in medicine and the impact they had on the world.

2. Explore an Application of Nanotechnology in Medicine

Discussion 2: The use of nanotechnology in medicine might make it possible to extend our lives by repairing damage to DNA in our cells. Discuss the following questions with your fellow students: Would you want to live 400 years? How would you live life differently if you lived that long? Would you have many more careers? Would you keep friends for life or have many different sets of relationships? What kind of changes to technology might occur over such a long period of time?

Reading 2: Read one of the medical application pages on the UnderstandingNano Web site (Cancer Treatments, Heart Disease, Life Extension or Nanorobots) which you can find in the navigation bar under "Medicine" ( www.understandingnano.com/medical.html ). Write a brief description of the types of efforts being made in the chosen area.

3. The Future of Nanotechnology in Medicine

Presentation 1: Nanotechnology holds the promise of completely getting rid of several major diseases such as cancer and heart disease. What could this mean to our world? In small groups as assigned by your teacher, discuss and then prepare a brief presentation on one of these topics and deliver it to the class:

If people did not die of disease, our world population would soar. What would this mean to the world's economy? How could we support so many more people? Would we have to move some people out into space?
What would the typical day in a doctor's life be like if major diseases were eradicated or almost instantly diagnosed and cured. How would you spend your work day? Imagine what conditions would be left for you to treat?

Optional Activity: Work in groups to research one company working to cure a disease using nanotechnology. Create a presentation describing the company and their efforts and present it to the class.

Conclusion: The use of nanotechnology in medicine offers great potential for improving our lives, and, as with any scientific breakthrough, it may have both good and unforeseen consequences.

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