Role of Nanotechnology in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Waterborne Diseases

Abstract

Nanotechnology provides new aspects for the treatment and diagnosis of diseases using atomic scale engineering of materials. The size of nanoparticles is similar to that of most biological molecules and structures; therefore, nanoparticles can be useful for both in vivo and in vitro biomedical research and applications. At the same time, the unique dimension of nanoparticles empowers them with special capabilities to successfully deliver the drug at the desired site. The integration of nanotechnology with biology has led to the development of diagnostic devices, contrast agents, analytical tools, physical therapy applications, and drug delivery vehicles. Water borne diseases are responsible for 4.0% of total annual deaths around the world. In the light of latest research, nanotechnology-based diagnosis and treatment have been proved as more effective and sensitive in comparison to the traditional methods. The unique nanoparticle-conjugated antibiotics are more efficient in showing their effect in comparison to the administration of the latter alone. At the same time, nanoparticle-labeled bio-sensors have proved their efficacy for quick and precise diagnosis of various waterborne diseases. The development of various combinations of nanoparticle drugs has multiple-fold benefit than a single antibiotic administered in diarrhea. This review article provides a bird’s eye view on the recent advancements of nanotechnology-based treatment and diagnosis of waterborne diseases.

Keywords: Nanotechnology, waterborne diseases, drug delivery, infection