‘Nano- A New Gambit joins the ongoing Battle against Cardiovascular Diseases’ I. Towards Nanocardiology

Resumé

Despite numerous advances, cardiovascular diseases are on the rise and continue to record high mortality worldwide. Thus an effective prevention of this will demand new diagnostic and therapeutic measures aimed at early, subclinical disease phase. Today’s novel approaches are being more centered on the understanding of molecular basis of disease processes. At this requirement, the recent materialization of molecular imaging has set the path for an evolutionary bound in diagnostics. On the other hand, nanotechnology is a fast evolving field. Applying nanotechnology to gain insights into the diagnostic and therapeutic dome of cardiovascular diseases at a molecular and cellular level represents the next frontier in medicine.  Research focused on using this to stage atherosclerosis and identify its different components unfolds a new avenue of targeted therapy to treat or prevent this progressive disease. Technological advancements have brought numerous new devices in the treatment armamentarium of cardiovascular disease, and researchers are trying to extend the use of nanotechnology to modify them to the fullest benefit, in their aspiration to make an ideal device. This paper details a number of activities in nanocardiology, exploring the ability of Nano for the existing modalities, its probable role in emerging modalities, recent advances in nanomaterials and devices. Special importance is given on developments in molecular imaging to effectively detect specific markers in atherosclerotic-plaques that are of interest in several stages of this disease, targeted nanotherapy, preventive cardiology, and prospective role of nano in pulmonary hypertension. Challenges and opportunities for the future are discussed.  Keywords:  Nanocardiology, nanoimaging, targeted nanotherapy, nanoengineering, nanostructured devices, nanopower generators.