SIMO SCHWARTZ RIERA MD, PhD, E-mail:

              NANOMEDICINE RESEARCH                

One of the most promising fields of research in biomedicine spins around the application of nanotechnology based systems to provide the clinical practice with new diagnostic medical tools and better treatment strategies. In this context, two main fields are under development. The one, concerning new nanodiagnostic devices based on ultrasensitive biosensors and imaging tools (nanodiagnostics) and the second, more effective and specific drug delivery systems based on new designed nanomedicines (nanotherapy).

Obtantion of new disease specific biomarkers are a must to achieve success in nanodiagnostics and there is an increasingly growing request of them to confront several diseases and clinical conditions (i.e. unknown infections or cancer). Also for developping targeting strategies needed to biofunctionalyze nanoparticles against them to deliver traceable particles (imaging) and therapeutic drugs (drug delivery). Pharmacological redesign of known drugs by linking them with nanocarriers from different nature (polymeric carriers, liposomes or magnetic nanoparticles among others) should be regarded as a new instrument to modify their pharmacological properties including therapeutic activity and sensitivity, pharmacokinetics and toxicology.

Besides providing the field with top science research on biomarker discovery and new therapeutic targets, one additional aim of the Program is to provide the Industry and other research groups with an optimal in vitro and in vivo validation platforms for “proof of concept” demonstrations and preclinical studies of new nanotechnology based biomedical approaches. We believe that the development of appropriate nanotechnology based devices and nanocarriers is crucial to achieve substantial improvements on disease drug delivery, diagnostics and imaging tools for biomedical applications. To achieve higher standards and better technological approaches in this field, is of the most importance to ensure research collaborations among research groups with different biomedical, clinical and technological areas of expertise, and also to provide at the same time a good interactive environment and translational cooperative working through adequate industrial, technological and clinical partnerships. These should ensure an optimal improvement of the current diagnostic tools and treatment protocols of human disease and will provide better survival, lower health costs and improvement on the overall quality of life of our patients.

Dr. Simó Schwartz Riera.