Delta Scan: The Future of Science and Technology, 2005-2055: Better Drug Delivery Through Nanotechnology

Key Pages

Category:	Science and Technology
Domain:	Nanotechnology
Keywords:	Nanotechnology - medicine, drugs, drug delivery, health care
Outlook:	Developments in nanotechnology are expected to affect almost every route by which drugs are delivered into the human body, with improvements ranging from incremental to revolutionary.
Summary Analysis:	Nanoscale engineering promises to improve methods of drug administration. The size reduction that could be enabled by nanomanufacturing methods plus the potential of nanoparticles to cross the blood-brain barrier could bring about improvements in delivering injectable drugs, oral drugs, topical and transdermal drugs. Implants are often considered a particularly effective route for efficient drug delivery, and use of nanostructured materials in implants makes them more effective in the gradual release of drugs into the system, reducing the frequency of dosing and the risk of adverse reactions. Nanoshells are a more revolutionary development in implantables; it is possible that physicians could targeted infrared rays directed at a metal-coated nanosilicon ball to create heat that affects malignant tumors tagged by the nanoshells while passing harmlessly through regular tissue.

Implications:

Reduced cost, enhanced solubility, improved bioavailability, and reduced toxicity of drugs

Early Indicators:

Johnson & Johnson's reformulation of an injectable schizophrenia drug to smaller than 200 nm under the Elan NanoCrystal brand
Current work by pSvidia of Perth, Australia, on developing a biosilicon implantable delivery system to treat inoperable liver cancer

What to Watch:

The size of nanoshell-drug combinations drops into the hundreds-of-nanometers range.
For those techniques that have only been tried in the lab, successful tests are done first on animals and then in human trials.

Parallels/Precedents:

Enablers/drivers:

Continuing basic research in creating nanoscale materials
Advances in medical and chemical research focused on compounds that affect conditions in the human body

Leaders:
Institutions:

University of Melbourne, Australia (progress in reducing the size of nanoshell-drug combinations)
Altair Nanotechnologies (research on nanospheres)
University of Texas, Austin (work on developing polymer nanospheres for oral drug delivery)
University of Nottingham, Nottingham Nanotechnology Centre [link]
University of Bradford, Drug Delivery Group [link]
Imperial College, London [link]
University of Limerick, Ireland [link]
National Cancer Institute [link]
Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore [link]
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan [link]
The Nanotechnology Institute, Drug Delivery team [link]

Figures:

Sources:

Dubin, Cindy H. "Special Delivery." Mechanical Engineering Nanotechnology September 2004.
"Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties," London: The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2004.
"Nano Drug Delivery: The Impact of Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery: Global Developments, Market Analysis and Future Prospects." NanoMarkets, March 2005.
H Onyuksel et al, Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, NSTI, Nanotech 2005 conference [link]
Cindy H Dubin, Small Steps for Mankind: Controlled-Release Gets Smarter Thanks to Nanotechnology, Formulation Forum, no date [link]
Nano-Enabled Drug Delivery Market to Pass $1.7 billion in 2009, Nanomarkets, March 2005 [link]

At A Glance:
When:
3–10 years

Where:
Global

How Fast:
Years

Likelihood:
Medium-High

Impact:
Medium-Low

Controversy:
Low

Related Outlooks:

About this outlook: An outlook is an internally consistent, plausible view of the future based on the best expertise available. It is not a prediction of the future. The AT-A-GLANCE ratings suggest the scope, scale, and uncertainty associated with this outlook. Each outlook is also a working document, with contributors adding comments and edits to improve the forecast over time. Please see the revision history for earlier versions.

	Implications:	Reduced cost, enhanced solubility, improved bioavailability, and reduced toxicity of drugs
	Early Indicators:	Johnson & Johnson's reformulation of an injectable schizophrenia drug to smaller than 200 nm under the Elan NanoCrystal brand Current work by pSvidia of Perth, Australia, on developing a biosilicon implantable delivery system to treat inoperable liver cancer
	What to Watch:	The size of nanoshell-drug combinations drops into the hundreds-of-nanometers range. For those techniques that have only been tried in the lab, successful tests are done first on animals and then in human trials.
	Parallels/Precedents:
	Enablers/drivers:	Continuing basic research in creating nanoscale materials Advances in medical and chemical research focused on compounds that affect conditions in the human body
	Leaders:	Institutions: University of Melbourne, Australia (progress in reducing the size of nanoshell-drug combinations) Altair Nanotechnologies (research on nanospheres) University of Texas, Austin (work on developing polymer nanospheres for oral drug delivery) University of Nottingham, Nottingham Nanotechnology Centre [link] University of Bradford, Drug Delivery Group [link] Imperial College, London [link] University of Limerick, Ireland [link] National Cancer Institute [link] Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore [link] National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan [link] The Nanotechnology Institute, Drug Delivery team [link]
	Figures:
	Sources:	Dubin, Cindy H. "Special Delivery." Mechanical Engineering Nanotechnology September 2004. "Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties," London: The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2004. "Nano Drug Delivery: The Impact of Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery: Global Developments, Market Analysis and Future Prospects." NanoMarkets, March 2005. H Onyuksel et al, Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, NSTI, Nanotech 2005 conference [link] Cindy H Dubin, Small Steps for Mankind: Controlled-Release Gets Smarter Thanks to Nanotechnology, Formulation Forum, no date [link] Nano-Enabled Drug Delivery Market to Pass $1.7 billion in 2009, Nanomarkets, March 2005 [link]

At A Glance:	When:	3–10 years
	Where:	Global
	How Fast:	Years
	Likelihood:	Medium-High
	Impact:	Medium-Low
	Controversy:	Low