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The Convergence of
Nanotechnology, 
Biotechnology and 
Cancer Medicine

in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
By Steven Mufamadi and Zamanzima Mazibuko 

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M
edical technologies of the fourth 
industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), such 
as nanotechnology, biotechnology, 

artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing and advanced 
materials are already transforming medical 
technology and the pharmaceutical industry by 
offering accurate diagnoses, targeting therapies 
with fewer side effects, and providing better medical 
imaging and personalised medicine. Industry 4.0 
will be driven by the convergence and synergy of 
innovative technologies, including nanotechnology 
and biotechnology, and not by these technologies 
working in isolation. Nanotechnology is defined 
by others as the prime mover of Industry 4.0. It 
provides new tools that boost the performance and 
functionality of other emerging technologies, while  
offering unique properties to these technologies. 
While biotechnology deals with the manipulation 
of molecular and biological systems and processes 
to make or modify products and services, the 
advantage of using nanotechnology is that it 
deals with the creation and manipulation of the 
chemical and physical properties of a substance 
at the nanoscale and molecular level (i.e. 1-100 
nm). These characteristics of nanotechnology and 
biotechnology allow for the treatment of complex 
health conditions, such as cancer, whose early 
diagnosis and targeted treatment provides for 
better patient prognosis.

The convergence of nanotechnology and 
biotechnology 

The intersection of nanotechnology and 
biotechnology created a new subject - i.e. 
nanobiotechnology or bionanotechnology or 
nanobiology. The role of nanotechnology in this 
convergence is to equip biotechnology with 
tools and materials that can interact directly 
with biomolecules. In medicine, the convergence 
of these two technologies offers innovative 
solutions to unmet needs such as early detection 
of disease, rapid diagnostics, imaging, target 
delivery and personalised medicine. In addition, 
nanotechnology will allow biological scientists 
to recognise, measure and interact with single 
biological events, changing the dynamics of 
diagnosis and treatment. The convergence of 
nanotechnology and biotechnology is maturing 
and currently progressing at a rapid rate, 
particularly in cancer medicine.

The convergence of nanobiotechnology and 
cancer nanomedicine  

The number of cancer cases are on the rise in 
Africa, with the most common being cancers 
of the cervix, breast, liver and prostate, as well as 
Kaposi’s sarcoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 
Approximately 14 million people were diagnosed 
with cancer and more than 8 million people died 
from various cancers in 2012. More than half these 
cases, and almost two-thirds of deaths, occurred 
in Africa and other low to middle-income regions. 
It is estimated that these numbers will increase 
to approximately 22 million cases and 13 million 
deaths by 2030. The growth of cancer cases on 
the continent can be attributed, amongst various 
factors, to population growth and lifestyle changes 
-  smoking, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, 
obesity, etc. Infection is also important in the 
pathogenesis of cancers especially in Africa. The 
WHO estimates that 22-24% of cancers are due to 
infectious aetiologies. 

Most cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced 
stage in Africa, which contributes to poor 
prognoses. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of cancer 
treatment (over 20% of African countries have no 
access to medications and access is sporadic in 
others) and limited access to conclusive diagnoses 
at various healthcare facilities on the continent. 
With a general move towards technology-based 
solutions globally, tackling the rising cancer crisis 
in Africa by using technologies that will drive the 
fourth industrial revolution should be explored. 

The challenge of treating various cancers is that 
most types of cancer can only be detected once 
the tumour has already developed, making very 
early detection difficult with prognosis then being 
worse as treatment is then less effective. The 
convergence of nanobiotechnology and cancer 
nanomedicine has immense potential towards 
the advancement of early diagnosis and hence 

The role of nanotechnology in this  
convergence is to equip biotechnology with 

tools and materials that can interact directly 
with biomolecules. In medicine,  

the convergence of these two technologies 
offers innovative solutions to unmet needs  

such as early detection of disease, rapid 
diagnostics, imaging, target delivery and 

personalised medicine.



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more effective treatment for cancer patients. 
Nanobiosensors and quantum dot imaging 
are examples that promise better approaches 
towards identifying cancer at an early-stage, 
before the tumour develops. Nanobiosensors and 
quantum dot technologies are highly sensitive 
and biospecific, with the capability to detect a 
specific cancer through cell-surface biomarkers. 
Furthermore, bionconjugated quantum dots can 
detect small numbers of malignant cells in the 
early stages of cancer or metastasis, which is very 
difficult with current imaging techniques such as 
X-ray imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 
and computed tomography (CT).

Another advantage of using nanobiotechnology 
in combating cancer includes targeted drug 
delivery - i.e. the capability of delivering 
anticancer drugs to where they will be most 
effective. Nanoparticles incorporated with active 
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can be surface 
functionalised with different biological ligands 
such as proteins, monoclonal antibodies, folic acid, 
carbohydrates, fructose, and receptors so that 
they can be localised at the cancer sites, without 
affecting the normal cells and/or healthy tissues. 
Targeted drug delivery reduces side-effects while 
improving drug safety and effectiveness. This 
means better cancer treatments, less medications 
and lower costs. The use of nanoparticles to deliver 
the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool holds promise 
for cancer treatment by deleting and/or editing 
the defective genes that cause cancer. The arrival 
of fully autonomous DNA nanorobots, that are 
capable of transporting anticancer drugs, to target 
and destroy tumours, will revolutionise the way 
cancer is treated in the 21st century.  

Although nanotechnology promises endless 
opportunities in medicine, one cannot discount 
that this emerging technology might have 

unintended effects on human health and the 
environment. Nanoparticles are relatively new; 
their risks are largely unknown due to insufficient 
data on possible risks, therefore there is a need 
for further studies to explore the long-term 
harmful effects on both human health and the 
environment. In recent studies, researchers have 
found that inhaling airborne nanoparticles, or oral 
or dermal exposure to some nanomaterials, may 
lead to pulmonary diseases and/or induce skin 
aging through oxidative stress. The gap between 
the development of nanotechnologies and 
nanoethics is wide: there remains a substantial lack 
of suitable and thorough risk and life cycle analyses 
of nanotechnologies. Thus, due to unknown 
long-term impacts on both health and the 
environment, many countries are starting to look 
at the establishment of a nano code of conduct for 
nanotechnology research and development (R&D) 
to protect students, research participants, patients 
and the environment. To support sustainability for 
nanomedicine or nanotechnology, R&D will require 
implementation of a nano ethical code of conduct 
that includes educating the public about the 
benefits, limitations and perils associated with this 
emerging technology. Essentially, the regulation 
of nanotechnologies needs to be firm enough for 
effective nanoethics, but also flexible enough to 
allow for innovation. ■

Although nanotechnology promises endless 
opportunities in medicine, one cannot discount 

that this emerging technology might have 
unintended effects on human health and the 

environment. Nanoparticles are relatively 
new; their risks are largely unknown due to 
insufficient data on possible risks, therefore 

there is a need for further studies to explore the 
long-term harmful effects.

A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is integration device with several 
laboratory functions - Image


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