FUNCTIONALIZED NANOPARTICLES FOR MEDICAL TREATMENTS

摘要

A class of functionalized nanoparticles useful in medical treatments is described. The nanoparticles have an attached carbohydrate that is selected on the basis that a cell to be treated ingests as a consequence of the presence of the carbohydrate. The nanoparticles have an attached chemical that if inside the cell is capable of treating the cell (e.g., curing a disease condition in the cell, killing the cell if it is pathogenic, or improving the health of the cell). The nanoparticle carries the chemical preferentially into the cell because the cell will ingest the carbohydrate, and thereby allows the nanoparticle and the chemical into itself.