Special Invited Lecture: Medical Nanotechnology for Preserving Cardiovascular Health and Treating Cardiovascular Diseases

One of the most exciting perspectives in the field of nanomedicine is the potential application of novel nanotechnogology to dramatically improve medical science and practice in the 21st century, including prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of diseases in humans. Maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system and treating cardiovascular diseases, the number one killer among all other diseases, are undoubtedly important areas for medical nanotechnology to be developed and applied. In this lecture, topics related to the application of nanotechnology in the understanding of molecular mechanisms responsible for certain cardiovascular diseases and how nanotechnology may be used for advancing the diagnose and treatment of these diseases will be discussed. Specifically, our collaborative studies in understanding cellular and molecular dynamics using a robotic atomic force microscopic system and a biosensor array will be presented in details. Also, snapshots of significant advancements in nanotechnology for diagnosis and therapy and how these key advancements may be used for tackling challenges in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the 21st century will be discussed. Given that many diseases have their roots at the nanoscale and are best understood as a malfunctioning of biological nanomachines, the prospects of these unique nano-sensors or -actuators in basic biomedical research or in clinical practice are beyond our imagination. Our laboratory and our collaborative research team are working diligently to explore the full biomedical potential of nanotechnology, hoping to eventually improve human health and life.