Nanomaterials in medicine and pharmaceuticals: nanoscale materials developed with less toxicity and more efficacy

Nanomaterials have unique physicochemical properties, such as large surface area to mass ratio, ultra small size and high reactivity, which are different from bulk materials with the same composition. These properties can be used to overcome some limitations found in traditional therapeutic and diagnostic agents. The application of nanomaterials in medicine and pharmaceuticals is increasing rapidly and offers excellent prospects. In this review, we will provided an overview on nanomaterial developments with less toxicity and more efficacy in the fields of imaging and diagnosis, disease therapy, drug delivery and tissue engineering. In summary, although these fields are still in their infancy, the present results have clearly demonstrated enormous potential.