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Nanotechnology: Science Meets Medicine

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - I like to call it the merging of science fiction with medicine: scientists call it nanotechnology.

What is nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is the use of minuscule devices to distribute medication and therapy to various parts of the body. The idea is this can be used to treat patients at the cellular level and actually destroy sick cells while avoiding the healthy ones.

One of the major issues with treatments like chemotherapy, which is designed to kill cancer cells, is that it also kills the healthy ones. Nanotechnology - at least in the ideal sense - could target the attacks.

A great deal of work is being done in this area.

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