Developing scanning probe–based nanodevices—stepping out of the laboratory into the clinic

Abstract 

This report focuses on nanotools based on the scanning force microscope (SFM) for imaging, measuring, and manipulating biological matter at the sub-micron scale. Because pathophysiological processes often occur at the (sub-) cellular scale, the SFM has opened the exciting possibility to spot diseases at a stage before they become symptomatic and cause functional impairments in the affected part of the body. Such presymptomatic detection will be key to developing effective therapies to slow or halt disease progression.

Key words: Multifunctional SFM probes, Articular cartilage, Osteoarthritis, Coronary arteries, Arteriosclerosis, Molecular motors, AFM, Clinical diagnostics, Nanotechnology, Tissue engineering, Actin, Asymmetric unit membrane, Nuclear pore complex, Nanomedicine, IT SFM, Advanced health care