- Indian Rheumatology association
Aravind Kumar Rengan
MBBS, M. Tech, PhD (IIT Bombay)
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, Kandi, India
Nanomedicine uses materials at the nanometer size (1–100 nm) to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. Nanotheranostics uses a nanoplatform for “therapy” and “diagnostics” to detect and treat diseases.
Nanoparticles can be employed as imaging agents to detect diseases like RA early. Enables real-time therapy outcome tracking. Examples include SPIONs, which improve imaging and administer medicines to arthritic joints. Rheumatologists value nanomedicine’s capacity to increase drug delivery, target inflamed regions, and reduce side effects, notably in RA and SLE.
Nanoscale systems improve precision, efficacy, and safety in diagnostics and therapies, especially in rheumatology. Nanoparticles increase MRI, fluorescence, biomarker detection, and real-time illness monitoring in diagnostics. Therapeutic nanocarriers deliver drugs (eg.methotrexate) or biologics directly to inflamed tissues, decreasing systemic toxicity and enhancing efficacy. Nanotheranostics combines diagnostic and treatment, which is important for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis that require targeted, regulated drug delivery and monitoring.
Here are a couple of clinical trial examples for nanomedicine applications in rheumatology
Preclinical studies in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) models showed reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, and initial trials aim to translate these benefits into human studies.
A phase II clinical trial (NCT00241982) demonstrated significant reductions in inflammatory biomarkers, although further studies are needed to establish long-term efficacy and safety.
While clinical experiments like this show promise, many nanomedicine uses are still preclinical. Delivery system improvements, safety, and regulatory issues are translational priorities. Nanomedicine’s increasing yet cautious significance in rheumatology has to be considered.
Despite its potential, nanomedicine has significant drawbacks that limit its practical use. Safety issues such long-term toxicity, immunological reactions (e.g., protein corona formation), and off-target effects persist. Accessibility is limited by scalability, nanoparticle size and surface property consistency, and high production costs. Novel materials’ strict regulatory restriction slows down clinical translation. Nanoparticle biodistribution is unexpected, accumulating in the liver and spleen, generating concerns about organ-specific toxicity. Finally, patient-specific variability like immune system responses can alter nanomedicine efficacy and safety, requiring individualized treatments that are still being developed.
Nanomedicine has the potential to transform medical diagnostics and treatments, including rheumatology. Targeted medication delivery, theranostics, and gene editing signal a shift toward precision medicine, which is safer, more effective, and personalized. As technology evolve, scalability, safety, and regulatory issues will be resolved, enabling clinical deployment. Nanomedicine could improve design, distribution, and monitoring by integrating with AI and biotechnology, making it a cornerstone of next-generation healthcare.
I was and am interested in exploring newer theranostic possibilities in Medical Sciences. After completing my MBBS from Thanjavur Medical College, I had applied for technology related master’s program. The M.Tech Nanomedical Sciences program at Amrita University ( offered by Dept of Science and Technology-GOI under the Nanomission program) correlated with my research interest. After completing my M.Tech with University Rank, I was offered IIT Bombay Institute Fellowship to continue my research work and doctoral thesis. After my PhD, I joined IIT Hyderabad as a faculty in the Dept of Biomedical Engineering. I am currently serving as the Principal Investigator of Plasmonic- Nanospace (P-NAS) Lab at IITH (www.pnaslab.com). Our research work in cancer nanomedicine has been well recognized by the scientific academies of India (INSA, NASI and INAE).
