Comment

Nano-formulating dexamethasone, and administering it via intravenous injection or inhalation, may help to improve anti-COVID-19 treatment efficacy by targeting the potent corticosteroid drug to hyper-activated immune cells, by potentiating its anti-oedema activity and by exploiting its anti-fibrotic effects.

Nanotechnology-based antimicrobial and antiviral formulations can prevent SARS-CoV-2 viral dissemination, and highly sensitive biosensors and detection platforms may contribute to the detection and diagnosis of COVID-19.

Chloroquine — an approved malaria drug — is known in nanomedicine research for the investigation of nanoparticle uptake in cells, and may have potential for the treatment of COVID-19.

The regulatory approval of Onpattro, a lipid nanoparticle-based short interfering RNA drug for the treatment of polyneuropathies induced by hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, paves the way for clinical development of many nucleic acid-based therapies enabled by nanoparticle delivery.

As new nanomaterials, manufacturing methods and applications advance, the nanotechnology-related environmental, health and safety community is well positioned to build upon the scientific foundation and strong collaborations they have developed to further expand understanding and ensure responsible development into the future.

The experiences gained from the past 15 years of nanomaterial risk analysis may be useful for the risk analysis efforts of other emerging technologies.

Fifteen years since the ground-breaking experiments on graphene, its commercial exploitation is progressing at the expected pace for a new material.

Graphene is being used commercially in large quantities in ways that are grounded in market realities, far from the much hyped ‘killer applications’.

Discussions on agricultural nanotechnology are pervaded with conflicting accounts of public opinion. A pragmatist concept may help to explain why this is so difficult to identify.

Genetically modified organisms as foods are a globally contested topic. What dictates the regulatory oversight of genetically modified crops could be redefined by advances in nanotechnology and genome editing.

The successful use of nanotechnology in agriculture will only be possible with a concerted effort to overcome the challenges posed by policies and regulations that are not yet fit for purpose.

Contrary to common belief, art, science and technology have always played off one another.

Fragments of plastic smaller than 1 μm have raised concerns about the potential risks they pose to the environment. Research will have to answer a number of questions to establish what the realistic risks are.

To assess potential risks posed by plastic nanoparticles, we must study the way in which they transfer and transform in the environment. Using ¹³C-labelled nanoplastics could provide a safe and effective way to establish whether the plastic is mineralized or whether it persists in the environment.

This Commentary discusses practical prospects of using electrical control of interlayer excitons in van der Waals heterostructures for high-temperature exciton condensation and valley–spin optoelectronics.

The new revisions of the Annexes of the European Union’s chemical legislation with regards to nanomaterials will provide more structure and clarity, but they will also force manufacturers, importers and downstream users to put substantial effort into understanding the details of what should and should not be done.

Initial studies indicate that consumer concerns about nanomaterial use in point-of-use water systems may be overestimated by manufacturers. Nevertheless, manufacturers should continue to focus on building consumer confidence in the safety of their products.