Nanotechnology and biomimetic methods in therapeutics: Molecular scale control with some help from nature

Nanoscale science and engineering has provided new avenues for engineering materials with macromolecular and even molecular precision. In particular, researchers are beginning to mimic biological systems, achieving molecular scale control via self-assembly and directed assembly techniques. Fabrication and manipulation with macromolecular and molecular precision have led and will lead to the development of novel materials, and these materials will facilitate the fabrication of micro- and nanoscale devices, such as self-regulated micro- and nanoscale drug delivery devices that combine diagnostic and therapeutic actions for instantaneous administration of therapy. As the field of nanoscale science and engineering matures, technologies that will revolutionize the way health care is administered will continue to be developed.