Nanotherapeutics - how nanobiotechnology is revolutionising healthcare

The study of nanometre-scale functional materials and their interactions with biological systems has had a profound impact in healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. This course gives an overview of how nanosized materials with unique chemical, optical, magnetic and/or structural properties are transforming medical diagnostics and therapy. 

Although the term “nanotechnology” has only become part of the lexicon since 1974 – when it was proposed by Norion Taniguchi to describe semiconductor processes – nanoscale materials have been used for centuries. The physico-chemical properties of matter at a very small scale (particularly in the nanometer range – 10-9 m) are very different from those at a larger scale, allowing the development of nanoscale materials tailored to have specific chemical functionalities, mechanical tunability, responsiveness and biomimicry (i.e., resembling or inspired by nature). Nanomaterials can find their ways into virtually any application market, ranging from electronics to energy, automotive, environment, aerospace, food and agriculture.

The field of nanobiotechnology, which explores the interface of engineered nanomaterials and biological systems, has had a profound impact in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. The last decades saw enormous progress in the field of cancer nanomedicine, with nanomaterials being designed and engineered to diagnose, image and treat tumours in an attempt to address the lack of current effective diagnostic tools and cancer therapies. Most recently, with the hit of the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of nanotechnology is gaining momentum, with two mRNA-based vaccines developed using lipid nanoparticles – BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) – being given emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

Of course, as with any relatively new and unknown science, the clinical use of complex multifunctional nanomaterials still faces considerable challenges and regulatory hurdles, not to mention a lack of understanding of long-term environmental and health effects. Nonetheless, nanobiotechnology is a world of endless opportunities and unexplored paths.  

This course will give you an overview of how nanosized materials with a variety of chemical compositions (e.g., transition metals, polymers, lipids, peptides, DNA) and unique optical, magnetic and/or structural properties are transforming medical diagnostics and therapy.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• Understanding the concept of nanobiotechnology and how it translates into real world applications;
• Having an overview of the different organic and inorganic materials and chemistries that can be used in nanomedicine;
• Being aware of the challenges and prospects of nanobiotechnology and the potential environmental and health implications of nanomaterials. 

Classes

Session 1: Introduction to Nanobiotechnology  
Introduction to the concept of nanosized functional and supramolecular materials. Overview of molecules/materials which have shown potential to be used in nanobiotechnology, including polymers, transition metals, lipids, carbon nanotubes, etc.

Session 2: Biological Barriers  
Before reaching their target, nanoparticles must cross many biological barriers. This session will give you an overview of mechanisms and factors that affect nanoparticle uptake by the cells, and strategies that are used to overcome biological barriers.

Session 3: Healthcare Applications of nanomedicine  
Overview of different healthcare applications of nanobiotechnology and considerations upon clinical use of nanoparticles. Examples of marketed nanoparticles in clinical use.  

Session 4: Cancer nanomedicine  
Despite manifesting itself throughout human history, cancer is still one of the most challenging diseases of the current world, affecting one in six people of all ages. It is not therefore surprising that the majority of nanomedicines generated so far have been developed for cancer therapy. This session will focus on the distinctive features of nanotechnology in oncology, as well as its challenges in clinical translation.  

Session 5: The Yin and Yang of Nanotechnologies
In this session, two different nanomaterials will be selected and discussed in detail in terms of their medical and environmental benefits versus safety risks. The idea is to give students a good overview of the pros and cons associated with the use of different nanotechnologies.  

Required reading

Whitesides, G M (2003) The ‘right’ size of nanobiotechnology, Nature Biotechnology, 21 (10), 1161-1165.  

Björnmalm, M et al. (2017) Bridging Bio-Nano Science and Cancer Nanomedicine, ACS Nano, 11, 9594-9613. 

Sahoo, S K et al. (2007) The present and future of nanotechnology in human health care, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 3, 20-31.  

Torchilin, V. (2014) Multifunctional, stimuli-sensitive nanoparticulate systems for drug delivery. Nat Rev Drug Discov 13, 813–827 

Typical week: Monday to Friday

For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.

Evaluation and Academic Credit 

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses. 

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.