The Medical Nanotechnology course introduces students to the use of nanotechnology in the healthcare field, covering everything from the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials to their applications in diagnosis, therapy, and regenerative medicine. Emphasis is placed on understanding how the unique properties of nanomaterials can be harnessed to develop innovative solutions in biomedicine.
Titular Professors
It is recommended that students have a basic understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, physics, medical instrumentation, and biomaterials and tissue engineering.
Students acquire the knowledge and develop the following skills:
Understand the fundamental principles of nanotechnology and its relevance to the medical field.
Identify and analyze the main applications of nanotechnology in diagnosis, therapy, and regenerative medicine.
Evaluate the benefits and risks associated with the use of nanomaterials in biomedicine.
Develop critical skills to analyze scientific literature and case studies related to nanomedicine.
1. Introduction to Nanotechnology in Medicine
2. Nanomaterials and Their Properties: Types of nanomaterials used in biomedicine. Synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials.
3. Diagnostic Applications of Nanotechnology: Nanoparticles in medical imaging techniques. Biosensors and rapid diagnostic devices.
4. Therapeutic Applications of Nanotechnology: Controlled drug-release systems. Targeted and personalized therapies.
5. Nanotechnology in Regenerative Medicine: Tissue engineering and nanostructured biomaterials. Applications in tissue repair and regeneration.
6. Ethical and Safety Aspects in Nanomedicine: Risk and toxicity assessment of nanomaterials. Ethical considerations in research and clinical application.
The course is taught in 3 weekly lesson lasting 50 minutes each.
The course combines theoretical lectures with practical sessions and case studies. Active student participation will be encouraged through debates, presentations, and analysis of recent scientific articles. In addition, digital resources and virtual visits to specialized facilities will be used to complement theoretical learning with practical experiences.
Course work evaluation
Course work evaluation: Percentage: Importance
Short seminar given by students: 20%: moderately significant
Class exercise: 10%: moderately significant
Midterm : 30%: highly significant
Final evaluation: 40%: highly significant
This subject requires a continuous and intense work of personal study by the students. It is key to understand correctly and in depth the concepts explained in class and to be able to generalize from the knowledge acquired. You can use the following tables as an orientation of the workload corresponding to the 3 ECTS credits of the subject:
- Medical Nanotechnology and nanomedicine, Harry F. Tibbals, 2017, CRC Press, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/b10151, ISBN: 9781315218250
- Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine-Methods, Devices, and Applications, Tuan Vo-Dinh, 2007, CRC Press, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781420004441, ISBN: 9780429125607
- Nanotechnology and Regenerative Engineering The scaffold, Second edition, Cato T. Laurencin, Lakshmi S. Nair, 2014, CRC Press, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/b17444, ISBN: 9780429102592