First nanomedicine textbook published

Formalizing progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology, engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have published the first textbook on the emerging field of nanomedicine.

Nanomedicine - Design and Application of Magnetic Nanomaterials, Nanosensors and Nanosystems presents a comprehensive treatment of a rapidly developing field that is changing the way biologists, physicists, chemists and medical researchers address a variety of health conditions, including cancer and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

"Nanomedicine, which is generally defined as the biomedical applications of nanoscience and nanotechnology, stands at the boundaries of physical, chemical, biological and medical sciences," said Vijay Varadan, distinguished professor of electrical engineering and primary author. "Advances in nanomedicine have made it possible to analyze and treat biological systems at the cell and sub-cell levels, providing revolutionary approaches for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of some fatal diseases."

The book provides an introduction to nanomedicine and explains the technological and scientific forces that led to the development of the field. It focuses on the physical and chemical properties of the materials and particles used in nanomedicine and discusses the working principles for biomedical applications for various types of magnetic nanomaterials, some of which have already improved human health and quality of life. The book pays specific attention to magnetic nanomaterials, magnetic nanoparticles and the development of biosensors, biochips and magnetic thin films.

Varadan said the volume may be used as a textbook for beginners and research students, as well as a reference book by working professionals. He hopes the book will facilitate more systematic training in the field.

"The book bridges the gaps between researchers from different disciplines, so they can speak the same language and get their ideas across to each other," Varadan said. "Clinical doctors interested in nanomedicine will also find this book valuable."

Varadan holds the College of Engineering's Twenty-First Century Endowed Chair in Nano- and Bio-Technologies and Medicine and the college's Chair in Microelectronics and High Density Electronics. He is director of the High Density Electronics Center and the Center for Wireless Nano-, Bio- and Info-Tech Sensors and Systems, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. Varadan is also a professor of neurosurgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark.

The book's co-authors are Linfeng Chen and Jining Xie, research scientists at the University of Arkansas.