The promise of nanotechnology for heart, lung and blood diseases

Nanotechnology offers a broad range of opportunities for improving the diagnosis and therapy for heart, lung and blood diseases, and drug delivery represents an area of particular promise. For cardiovascular disease, the treatment of atherosclerotic plaque and prevention of restenosis following stent placement offer attractive targets for nanotechnology. In lung disease, nanotechnology may provide novel treatments for a broad range of intractable pulmonary diseases, including bacterial biofilms, fungal infections, and tuberculosis. For haematopoietic diseases, targeted delivery of drugs to lymphocytes may represent a strategy for reducing systemic cytotoxicity. This editorial discusses some of the more promising targets for nanotechnology-based treatment of heart, lung and blood diseases.