The biotechnology industry spans a wide spectrum of products and research specialties, but one that has taken a particularly important role in just these past few years is medical nanotechnology or the application of nanotechnologies to health research.

The newness of this industry and its relative explosion in popularity means that there has been a burst of development and progress made in this quarter. Some of these will be exhibited for the benefit of other scientists and the international public at the Osong International Bio Expo 2014 in Korea.

While it would be impossible to provide a comprehensive list of the areas of specialization in this domain, some of the most popular areas of scientific interest currently are in discovering better means of drug transport and diagnosing and treating cancer.

The advantage of medical nanotechnology in these areas is that the small size of the devices means that they are far less invasive than ones that are not nanoscale and that biochemical reaction times to them are significantly smaller.

By using nanoparticles, drug treatments can be delivered directly to specific cells, thus lowering the possibility and rate of side effects. The overall impact of this approach to drug treatments would lessen both costs and human suffering, making further investment in this avenue of research very appealing to both the private and public sectors.

The work being done in this sector is also highly concerned with reducing rates of nanotoxicity that can arise sometimes through this type of treatment, and the progress made on this front will be a concern of those who will be in attendance at the Osong Bio Expo.

Regarding cancer treatment, medical nanotechnology is making strides by helping oncologists to gain superior images of tumor sites, by combining the use of quantum dots (or nanoparticles) with standard MRI testing. Researchers are working to reduce the level of toxicity that this approach has for patients to be able to use it more frequently and improve the ability of doctors to treat cancer patients.

The most cutting-edge work in this field is seeking to apply nanoparticles to tumors to reduce their size without affecting non-cancerous cells. There are many, many more applications of medical nanotechnology in cancer treatment that are currently being explored, and some of these will be exhibited at Bio Expo for the benefit of visitors and other researchers in attendance.

To find out more about how you can be in attendance at the Bio Expo in Osong, Korea in 2014, or about what other kinds of projects will be on display, please see the information posted on our homepage.