RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF ADDICTION

Background and Aim : addiction is a significant health concern worldwide. Addiction is a brain disorder that affects the rewards system and it is a progressive disease that, if not treated, leads to disability or premature death. Addiction is a complex disorder that arises through transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms. therefore, diagnosis and treatment of addiction require modern and advanced technology to understand the fundamental mechanisms of addiction. For example, the conventional approaches have some limitation which is included long detection time, low sensitivity and specificity, and false results. also, the treatment of addiction is another major problem that both of them urgently need new and innovative strategies to cope with these problems. Recently, nanotechnology has made significant achievements in medicine and health care including treatment and diagnosis of addiction. Methods : Nanoparticles are small particles around 100 nm in diameter, which have been engineered for diagnostic purposes and various therapeutic applications. For example, it is widely used for drug and gene delivery, contrast agents, tissue engineering, immunotherapy, microfluidic, drug screening, and nanobiosensors. In the nanotechnology approach to the treatment of addiction, some studies have been developed such as gene therapy to regulate brain signaling pathways, anti-nicotine vaccine, reducing drug side effects and attenuating the behavioral and neurochemical effects of methamphetamine. Results : nowadays, patents and commercial products such as implantation and sustain-release formulations like Probuphine®, Vivitrol® have also been introduced to the market. Furthermore, using nanoparticles and biosensors can significantly increase the ability to detect drugs of abuse in a short period of time with reliable and accurate results. for example, Programmable Bio-Nano-Chip Systems use for rapid, sensitive and quantitative detection of drugs of Abuse in oral fluids. These new tools allow police officers, rehab centers, schools, and others to monitor drug abuse on-site. Conclusion : Finally, nanotechnology will provide a unique capability for both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in addiction in the foreseeable future

Keywords:

nanotechnology , addiction , diagnosis , treatment