MicroNanoSystems News
Nano pain relief at the front line
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN scientists
have developed a combination drug
that promises a safer, more precise way
for medics and fellow soldiers in battle
situations to give a fallen soldier both
morphine and a drug that limits
morphine’s dangerous side effects.
They use nanotechnology to devise
ultra-small polymer particles capable of
carrying the drugs into the body. The
development of the combination drug
makes possible a precise feedback
system that can safely regulate release
Issue VII 2009
of the drugs aboard the nanoparticles.
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Soldiers injured in combat typically
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receive morphine as soon as possible to
relieve pain. Morphine, however, also
depresses normal breathing and blood
pressure, sometimes to life-threatening
levels. So medics need to give a short-
acting drug that aids normal respiration
and heart beat, but in doses that still release or become another drug. In this action of the antagonist drug and more
oasiasemiconductor
allow the morphine to relieve pain case, they wanted one that could morphine will be available,” says
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effectively. Today, achieving that convert to Naloxone, a drug now used Baohua Huang, Ph.D., the study’s first
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balance is a challenge outside a to counter morphine’s effects, but author and a research investigator at
hospital. would activate only when blood oxygen the Michigan Nanotechnology Institute
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The long-range goal of the levels drop too low. In laboratory tests and in Internal Medicine.
research, funded by the U.S. Defense using human plasma, one pro drug MNIMBS scientists are proceeding
Advanced Research Projects Agency, is successfully sensed oxygen levels and with animal studies of the pro drug’s
to develop a practical method that turned on or off as needed. effects and will develop a dendrimer
medics or soldiers themselves could “When respiratory distress is too that can carry the pro drug and
administer, perhaps using an auto- severe, that will trigger release of morphine, using a dendrimer platform
injector device. U-M chemists screened Naloxone, the antagonist (morphine- technology previously developed at
several compounds to search for a suppressing) drug. When the oxygen U-M. They hope to advance to more
successful “pro drug,” a drug that can blood levels go up, that will stop the animal and eventually human studies.
Melbourne nano centre chooses Oxford Plasma
OXFORD INSTRUMENTS Plasma Technology facility (ANFF), an initiative between the Australian federal
(OIPT) has just received a 3 system order from government, the Victorian state government, CSIRO and
the prestigious new Melbourne Centre for Victorian Universities. MCN chose Oxford Instruments as the
Nanofabrication (MCN) in Australia. The key provider for their etch, deposition and growth tools.
systems have been bought as part of the MCN’s ultimate purpose is to fill the gap in
Centre’s programme to equip cleanrooms with Australia for open access, multi-scale
state of the art instrumentation for nano and fabrication infrastructure, spanning a range of
micro scale fabrication. fabrication environments and materials.
Oxford Instruments has a reputation for Sales Director for OIPT, Mark Vosloo
working with and equipping many universities said,”OIPT prides itself in providing systems
and research institutes. That fact and the for academic research and recently equipped
flexibility of OIPT’s tools were important new cleanroom facilities for KAUST, Saudi
criteria in MCN’s decision to choose OIPT as a Arabia, LBNL, USA and Southampton University, UK.
strategic partner. The MCN is the Victorian We are delighted that MCN has also chosen OIPT
node of the Australian National Fabrication Plasmalab systems for their new research centre.”
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