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Nanonephrology


Nanonephrology is a branch of nanomedicine and nanotechnology that deals with:

The creation and use of materials and devices at the molecular and atomic levels that can be used for the diagnosis and therapy of renal diseases is also a part of Nanonephrology that will play a role in the management of patients with kidney disease in the future.

Advances in Nanonephrology will be based on discoveries in the above areas that can provide nano-scale information on the cellular molecular machinery involved in normal kidney processes and in pathological states. By understanding the physical and chemical properties of proteins and other macromolecules at the atomic level in various cells in the kidney, novel therapeutic approaches can be designed to combat major renal diseases.

The nano-scale artificial kidney is a goal that many physicians dream of. Nano-scale engineering advances will permit programmable and controllable nano-scale robots to execute curative and reconstructive procedures in the human kidney at the cellular and molecular levels. Designing nanostructures compatible with the kidney cells and that can safely operate in vivo is also a future goal. The ability to direct events in a controlled fashion at the cellular nano-level has the potential of significantly improving the lives of patients with kidney diseases. For dialysis patients nanotechnological filters will be of immediate relief.

Nanotechnology can be coupled with Computed Tomography (CT) systems and be able to provide high resolution images smaller than 1 micrometer. The nano-improved CT scan can be put into practical use by providing a vascular corrosion cast, a three-dimensional model of a blood vessels, that is highly specific with high resolution. This type of imaging can detect all of the capillaries as well as the whole vascular system of the kidney. It can also be used on a broader scale to check the larger blood vessels. The whole kidney was able to be imaged and parts of the vascular system were deducted that included the capillaries as well as smaller vessels. This left them with an image that resembled a tree which was only the larger vessels.


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