The new century has arrived with new challenges to the profession of veterinary medicine. Cloning and the genome projects are becoming popular topics in the news media because new advances in those research areas will bring about new ways to treat diseases, both in human and veterinary medicine. But there is another new field that is emerging with promises that can revolutionize the way veterinary medicine is practiced: nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the field of science that creates and manipulates complex synthetic molecules that are hundreds of times smaller than the cells in an animal's body. These synthetic molecules are usually called nanomaterials or nanostructures, and they represent a significant promise for the fields of veterinary medicine and biotechnology in the years to come. The nanomaterials can be made from polymers, carbohydrates or lipids, all of which can lead to a great variety of functional and physical characteristics. Once we understand the characteristics of these materials, we may be able to find applications related to disease control, genetic manipulation and other areas. The study of the biological applications of these nanostructures will be important to the future of veterinary science.

To my understanding, one of the areas of medicine that would benefit from nanotechnology research is the field of veterinary pharmacology. The creation and manipulation of new synthetic molecules can provide us with new therapeutic compounds to treat diseases in our pet population. These new compounds, for example, can protect our pets from viral or bacterial infections and accelerate wound healing. In addition, these new substances could carry drugs and genes into cells, making treatment of diseases more efficient. One of the most recent advances related to the study of biology and microelectronics has been the creation of an electronic chip that, once attached to a cell, can control the permeability of the cell's membrane. The chip allows researchers to open and close cellular membrane at will. This chip may allow us to introduce DNA molecules, proteins and medicines into cells to treat different diseases or conditions. The creations of tools like the electronic chip, plus the presence of new therapeutic compounds, definitely are going to bring changes to veterinary pharmacology.

But besides veterinary pharmacology, there are other potential applications of nanotechnology to the field of veterinary medicine. Consider the possibility of introducing microexplorers ("nanobots") into the bodies of our pets. These microexplorers might travel to different areas of the body with the mission of detecting and destroying tumor cells before they reach the stage of malignancy. The same concept may be used to destroy the microfilaria and the adult stage of the worms that produce heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is responsible for the deaths of thousands of dogs in mosquito-infested areas every year. One last application is the prevention of bladder stones in cats and dogs. The microexplorers can be used to remove the crystals that eventually form the stones in the urinary bladder; the incidence of this condition, which can affect cats and dogs of any age or breed, can be reduced dramatically.

Today, it may be too soon to predict how nanotechnology is going to improve the quality of life for our pets. This is a new field of technology in early stages of development, and we may not see the first applications to the field of veterinary medicine for the next 5 to 10 years. Until then, we just need to keep an open mind to the possibilities that the future may bring to humankind and, of course, to our pets.

-Dr. José Feneque practices as associate veterinarian at Crossroads Animal Hospital and Kenwest Animal Clinic in Miami, Florida. A University of Georgia graduate, he is the director of the Nanomedicine Forum for the Nanocomputer Dream Team (www.nanocomputer.org). He can be reached at (305) 279-2000 or via e-mail at fenequedvm@nanocomputer.org.