Genchi Giada Graziana, Marino Attilio, Tapeinos Christos, Ciofani Gianni
Smart Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera, Italy.
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy.
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2017 Dec 18;5:80. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2017.00080. eCollection 2017.
With the increasing advances in the fabrication and in monitoring approaches of nanotechnology devices, novel materials are being synthesized and tested for the interaction with biological environments. Among them, smart materials in particular provide versatile and dynamically tunable platforms for the investigation and manipulation of several biological activities with very low invasiveness in hardly accessible anatomical districts. In the following, we will briefly recall recent examples of nanotechnology-based materials that can be remotely activated and controlled through different sources of energy, such as electromagnetic fields or ultrasounds, for their relevance to both basic science investigations and translational nanomedicine. Moreover, we will introduce some examples of hybrid materials showing mutually beneficial components for the development of multifunctional devices, able to simultaneously perform duties like imaging, tissue targeting, drug delivery, and redox state control. Finally, we will highlight challenging perspectives for the development of theranostic agents (merging diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities), underlining open questions for these smart nanotechnology-based devices to be made readily available to the patients in need.
随着纳米技术设备制造和监测方法的不断进步，新型材料正在被合成并测试其与生物环境的相互作用。其中，智能材料尤其为在难以到达的解剖区域以极低侵入性研究和操纵多种生物活性提供了多功能且可动态调节的平台。接下来，我们将简要回顾基于纳米技术的材料的近期实例，这些材料可通过不同能量源（如电磁场或超声波）进行远程激活和控制，因为它们与基础科学研究和转化纳米医学都相关。此外，我们将介绍一些混合材料的实例，这些材料展示了对多功能设备开发互利的成分，能够同时执行成像、组织靶向、药物递送和氧化还原状态控制等任务。最后，我们将强调治疗诊断剂（融合诊断和治疗功能）开发的具有挑战性的前景，突出这些基于智能纳米技术的设备在为有需要的患者提供时所面临的开放性问题。
