Combination of viral biology and nanotechnology: new applications in nanomedicine

Saini, Vaibhav; Zharov, Vladimir P.; Brazel, Christopher S.; Nikles, David E.; Johnson, Duane T.; Everts, Maaike

doi:10.1016/j.nano.2006.07.002

« PreviousNanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine
Volume 2, Issue 3 , Pages 200-206, September 2006

Combination of viral biology and nanotechnology: new applications in nanomedicine

Vaibhav Saini, MSc
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Surgery, Pathology and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Vladimir P. Zharov, PhD
- Philips Classic Laser Laboratories, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Christopher S. Brazel, PhD
- Center for Materials for Information Technology (MINT), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
David E. Nikles, PhD
- Center for Materials for Information Technology (MINT), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
Duane T. Johnson, PhD
- Center for Materials for Information Technology (MINT), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
Maaike Everts, PhD
- Division of Human Gene Therapy, Departments of Medicine, Surgery, Pathology and the Gene Therapy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Corresponding author. Division of Human Gene Therapy, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-2180.

Received 14 February 2006; accepted 19 July 2006.

Abstract

Viruses are well known for their ability to cause disease, but their beneficial usefulness as vectors for gene therapy have been noted as well. As an extension of their use in a gene therapy context, their combination with nanotechnology is starting to benefit many areas of science and medicine. These include nanofabrication and medical diagnostics, to name a few, as well as viro-nanotherapy, here defined as the combination of viral biology with nanotechnology to create new therapeutic avenues to treat disease. This review provides examples of areas wherein viruses in combination with nanotechnology are being used to either advance scientific knowledge or accelerate the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics for human pathological conditions.