Tracking nanoparticles
Using a real-time imaging system, scientists have tracked a group of near-infrared fluorescent nanoparticles from the airspaces of the lungs into the body and out again, providing a description of the characteristics and behavior of the particles that could be used in developing therapeutic agents to treat pulmonary disease. The findings could also offer a greater understanding of the health effects of air pollution. Led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard School of Public Health, the findings are described in the Nov. 7 advance online issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology. At a scale of 1 to 100 nanometers (nm) — one-billionth of a meter — nanoparticles are too small to be visible through a traditional microscope. But this extremely small scale makes them potential candidates for targeted drug delivery, capable of precisely pinpointing disease sources with increased efficiency and minimal side effects to surrounding tissues. “Nanoparticles...