Nanotechnology is spreading its roots in drugs and medical devi­ces industries. Infor­matics is slated

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to play a major role in the development of such nano­systems.

Nanoinformatics, an offspring of informatics and nanomedicine, has the potential to become a key computational tool for translating basic nanomedical information into clinical practices. A couple of nanodevices and nanomedicines have already found clinical acceptability. Keeping in view the importance of informatics in the development of nanodevices and nano­medicine, intergovernmental agencies are working on collaborative projects to accelerate development of new nanoinformatic tools and techniques.

Nanoparticles have shown the ability to cross biological barriers, to accumulate at tumour sites or to increase the solubility of drugs. These qualities make them unique materials for drug delivery. The applications of nanomedicine inc­lude smart sensors to monitor bo­dy function and diagnose disease states, new methods for molecular imaging for early detection of diseases, implantable material and de­vices for tissue repair and replacement, targetted drug delivery to di­seased tissues, selective treatment of diseased tissues and others.

Nanoparticles and nanosystems are also being designed for drug delivery within cells. Researchers are developing a genetically modified cell that can operate in a human body. It contains a biological computer that can process and analyse external biological signals, emit a diagnosis and deliver the desired molecular therapeutic signal to treat the patient. Nano­informatics is used to analyse and process information about the structure and physico-chemical characteristics of nanoparticles such as volume, shape, electrostatic properties, among others. These characteristics influence nanoparticles’ interactions in different biological environments. In order to understand therapeutic and toxic effects of nanoparticles in biological environment, a new set of data, informatics tools, and computational methods will be required. This underlines the importance of informatics in nanomedicine.

The white paper prepared by ACTION-Grid Consortium lists some nanoinformatic challenges. One of the challenges is development of data repositories and standards. It is about creating nanoinformatic infrastructure to collect, curate, annotate, organise and archive the available data and facilitate data sharing among user groups. Another challenge is creating a pool of nanoinformatic tools, including the use of cloud-computing services and supercomputers, to carry out complex computational tasks that can be accessed and retrieved. It is necessary to tailor and modify available biomedical informatic models and simulation tools to suit the requirements of nanomedicine. An­­other key issue is medical imaging in nano­systems. Mo-le­cular MRI can be rea­lised only by accumulating contrast agents on a nanoscale level to reach the necessary contrast levels. The challenge is to create new contrast agents to target specific or-gans, functions, or cell types. Questions related to patient safety and possible secondary effects related to the use of nanoparticles also need attention.

Nanomedicine market is predicted to grow to $12 billion in the year 2012. At present, nanomedicine is dominated by drug delivery systems, accounting for more than 75 per cent of the total sales. Support of big pharma brothers is crucial for commercial success of nanomedicine. Currently the share of nanomedicine is quite small if one compares it with the total pharmaceutical and medical device market. Volker Wagner, Anwyn Dullaart, Anne-Katrin Bock and Axel Zweck write in Nature Biotechnology, “For the most part, nanotechnology in medicine has an enabling function. In most cases, it constitutes only a functional component of a medical product; however, its great strength lies in its versatility: nanotechnology has the potential to add innovative functionality to many pharmaceutical products and medical devices”.

The writer is a biotechnologist and ED, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Jaipur