Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea

Drugs

Drugs come in many categories. Some are simple continuous structures such as creams or lotions that change the properties of the skin or control its exposure to external elements such as sunlight. Some are large, macromolecular biological structures that specifically interact with other large macromolecular structures in the body—examples include vaccines, which are basically modified viruses. One of the largest and most important categories comprises individual molecules that work by interacting specifically with DNA or proteins within the body. This class of drug molecules includes aspirin, the anticancer drug Cis-Platin, and much more complex molecules like beta blockers or antiinflammatories such as cortisone.

Since most of these molecular ...