科学家们探索纳米粒子在疾病中的作用
Scientists Explore The Role Nanoparticles May Play In DiseaseScienceDaily (Apr. 6, 2008) — Two Mayo Clinic researchers who study the role nanoparticles may play in hardening of the arteries and in the formation of kidney stones, will lead a symposium on how these super-small particles may affect the body’s physiology. Nanoparticles are a thousand times smaller than the bacteria, E. coli, but recent advances in microscopy have allowed researchers to watch them interact with cells in the body, said Virginia M. Miller and John C. Lieske of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. They will lead the symposium, “Using nanotechnology to answer physiological questions.”
One of the questions physiologists want to explore is whether nanoparticles can cause diseases such as atherosclerosis, kidney stones, gall stones and periodontal disease. Dr. Lieske is investigating how nano-sized crystals in the kidney can lead to the development of kidney stones. Dr. Miller has been studying the link between atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and nanoparticles which calcify within the arteries.
New technology: promise and peril?
Nanotechnology presents intriguing possibilities and some troubling unknowns. The technology is already applied in commercial products as disparate as flame resistant materials and cosmetics. In addition, the technology holds promise in the development of medications that can target precise areas of the body, such as a tumor.
Because of their size, nanoparticles may more easily gain entry to the body, where the longterm effects are unknown. Dr. Miller has found that some nanoparticles cause inflammation when injected into the blood vessels of animals, an early step in the development of atherosclerosis.
Using the latest in microscopy, Dr. Miller has begun to observe nanoparticles from atherosclerotic tissue. She hopes to determine how these particles gain access to cells and whether the interaction eventually leads to cell activation or death leading to calcification.
Kidneys stones start as tiny calcifications which later become larger and eventually develop into kidney stones. Dr. Lieske hypothesizes that the nanoparticle causes the initial calcification. Once that happens, other processes can take place that results in a kidney stone.
It is not yet known where nanoparticles that are implicated in kidney stones and atherosclerosis originate – whether our bodies contain them naturally or we obtain them from the environment.
Miller said research should proceed to determine if nanoparticles are safe over the long term. “We may not know some of the consequences until further down the road” she said.
{http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402104151.htm}
科学日报（2008.4.6）——两名梅奥临床学院研究人员曾研究纳米粒子在动脉硬化和肾结石形成中所起的作用，他们将开研讨会讨论关于这些超级微小粒子是怎样影响人体生理功能的。梅奥临床学院Virginia M.Miller和John C.Lieske说纳米粒子比细菌如大肠杆菌要小一千倍，但显微镜的发展使得研究人员能够观察到他们与身体中的细胞相互作用。他们将主持研讨会“用纳米技术来解决生理学的问题”。ScienceDaily (Apr. 6, 2008)
生理学家想探索的诸多问题之一就是纳米粒子是否能引起诸如动脉粥样硬化、肾结石、胆石症和牙周病。Dr. Lieske正在研究肾脏中纳米大小的结晶是怎样导致肾结石发生的。Dr. Miller已经研究了动脉粥样硬化（动脉硬化）和使动脉钙化的纳米粒子之间的关系。
新技术：前景和危险？
纳米技术展现出有趣的可行性和一些未知的麻烦。这项技术已经应用到不同于耐热性物质的商业产品和化妆品中。而且，该技术在以身体的精确定位为靶向的医药发展方面（如肿瘤）也展示出很好的前景。纳米粒子因其微小的体积可能更容易进入人体，其长期效应还未知。Dr. Miller已经发现将一些纳米粒子注射入动物血管可引起炎症，即动脉粥样硬化发展的早期阶段。
Dr. Miller开始用最新的显微镜来观察动脉粥样硬化组织中的纳米粒子。她希望可以确定这些粒子是怎么进入细胞的以及他们与细胞之间的相互作用最终是导致细胞活化还是使细胞死亡进而导致钙化。肾结石是从微小钙化开始的，这种微小钙化以后会越来越大最终发展为肾结石。Dr. Lieske假设纳米粒子引起初始钙化。一旦钙化发生，将会引发其他进程从而导致肾结石的发生。目前还不清楚与肾结石和动脉粥样硬化相关的纳米粒子来源——是我们的身体天然含有他们还是我们从环境中获得的。
Miller说研究应该继续进行下去以便能弄清楚纳米粒子是否是安全的。她说：“我们只有沿着这条路进一步的走下去才能知道结果。”
纳米技术在生物医学领域肯定有广泛的运用前景，回头看看我们的科技发展史，都是从最初的肉眼到显微微观世界的扩展，从米到厘米再到分米再到微米....从自然界到人到器官到组织再到细胞再到分子水平再到....哪一次的进步不是一次重大的革命，设想一下，我们看得越“细”我们离真理就更近。
现在最有前景的是关于半导体量子点在生物医学上长时间、实时、动态的研究活细胞内的分之运动和作用机理。当然纳米技术在生物医学中的运用还包括治疗（纳米靶向治疗-主动和被动靶向治疗）、诊断等等。诸如此类的都是利用一种外来的纳米材料根据其微小的特点在细胞分子水平对生命现象进行研究。但是这篇文章却研究我们人体内存在的纳米微粒在疾病中扮演的角色，的确给人耳目一新的感觉。
当前由于纳米的生物相容性问题以及对研究的影响还没有得到彻底解决，纳米微粒在生命科学中的运用还只是停留在实验室的研究中。设想一下利用我们人体内自然存在的纳米微粒来进行研究，这个问题岂不解决了
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