NHLBI Working Group
Nanotechnology in Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Medicine
Executive Summary
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a
Working Group of investigators on February 28, 2003, in Bethesda,
Maryland to review the challenges and opportunities offered
by nanotechnology. The Working Group members included engineers,
chemists, biologists, and physicians with an interest in applying
nanotechnology and nanoscience to problems in heart, lung,
blood and sleep medicine. The Working Group participants first
reviewed the responses received to a Request for Information.
The participants then discussed the scientific opportunities
which nanotechnology and nanoscience bring to research and
treatment for heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases, identifying
areas of particular promise. Drug delivery and therapeutics,
molecular imaging, diagnostics and biosensors, and tissue
engineering and biomaterials were thought by Working Group
members to be fields where nanotechnology was likely to have
an impact in the near future.
The Working Group next addressed perceived needs and barriers
hindering the development and application of nanotechnology
solutions to disease problems. Since investigators working
in heart, lung, blood and sleep research are rarely skilled
in the use of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, while investigators
with nanotechnology skills rarely focus on heart, lung, and
blood disorders, fostering partnerships between the two communities
was recognized as being essential for bringing nanotechnology
and nanoscience into the clinical arena. The provision of
centralized resources, for example molecular libraries for
intra- and extracellular targeting, to provide broad access
to resources in a cost-effective way was also discussed.
The Working Group went on to identify specific disease examples
where the application of nanotechnology and nanoscience is
likely to be of particular benefit in the next five to ten
years. Areas recognized as being ready for the application
of nanotechnology and nanoscience included; 1) diagnosis and
treatment of vulnerable plaque; 2) tissue repair, engineering
and remodeling for replacement and repair of blood vessels
and heart and lung tissue; 3) diagnosis, treatment and prevention
of lung inflammatory diseases; 4) multifunctional devices
capable of monitoring the body for the onset of thrombotic
or hemorrhagic events, signaling externally and releasing
therapeutic drugs; 5) in vivo sensors monitoring patients
for sleep apnea.
Finally, the Working Group made recommendations for the Institute
on how to support research in this field. The recommendations
of the Working Group are to:
- Create multidisciplinary research teams capable of developing
and applying nanotechnology to heart, lung, blood, and sleep
research and medicine; disseminating technology, materials,
and resources; and training a new generation of investigators.
- Support individual investigators to conduct research on
the application of nanotechnology advances to biological
and clinical problems.
- Foster pilot programs and developmental research to attract
new investigators and stimulate creative, high-impact research.
- Encourage the small business community to become involved
in the development of nanotechnology applications.
Working Group Members
Chair: Mauro Ferrari, PhD, Biomedical Engineering Center, Ohio
State University
Members:
- Jean Frechet, PhD, Department of Chemistry, University
of California, Berkeley
- Jeffrey Fredberg, PhD, Department of Environmental Health,
Harvard School of Public Health
- Bruce Furie, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Pascal Goldschmidt, MD, Department of Medicine, Duke
Clinical Research Institute
- Stephen Lee, PhD, Biomedical Engineering Center, Ohio
State University
- Viola Vogel, PhD, Department of Bioengineering, University
of Washington
- Jennifer West, PhD, Department of Bioengineering, Rice
University
- Samuel Wickline, MD, Cardiovascular Division, Washington
University School of Medicine
- Karen Wooley, PhD, Department of Chemistry, Washington
University
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