This week: miniscule medication transforming treatments

Medication sent through the skin without so much as a prick but through a wave of electricity, cancers being diagnosed by fluorescent markers capable of highlighting tumors smaller than a millimeter. It might sound like science fiction but this is in fact the latest medical science.

In this edition HEALTH travels to a hub of nanotechnology in Grenoble and visits a laboratory where size matters and it’s the smaller the better, as miniaturization means more targeted treatment.

Here scientists have developed a probe so tiny it can be injected into the body. It then highlights the nerves or blood vessels highlighting any tumor or abnormality. Nanoparticles of fluorescent markers are suspended in salty water and then injected into the body. The liquid can illuminate the lymphatic system showing any swelling which can be a sign of infection. Highlighting them would enable surgeons to a) spot possible problems and b) carry out very precise operations.

Nanotechnologies are transforming the medical world leading to tests and operations that are less invasive, faster and more effective.  In London where scientists have developed a micrometer sized capsule, which is infact a minuscule reservoir that can be filled with medication. It can then be held under the skin, releasing its content with the help of a simple infrared trigger. It could lead to full courses of prescription drugs being shrink wrapped and stored under the skin which would be useful for anyone on long term medication or indeed diabetics who need to take daily doses of insulin.