"The Impact of Using Nanotechnology in the Early Detection and Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases"
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Abstract
Nanotechnology has evolved to mark a paradigm shift in the earlier detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases bearing a heavy health burden onto the global settings, especially in resource-limited areas. Depending on the conventional diagnostic technique, sensitivity and specificity could generally lack, especially during the early phases of infection. Here nanotechnology comes with very attentive solutions through novel materials like gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, magnetic nanoparticles, and quantum dots. Particular physicochemical properties characterize these nanomaterials, such as high surface area, enhanced optical and electrical behaviors, and functionalization capacity, allowing them to be used in the creation of highly specific, sensitive, and rapid diagnostic platforms. This study presented a systematic review in a peer-reviewed setting of literature published from 2015 through 2024 and clinical data for comparing the diagnostic efficacy of the approach on nano-tech basis versus standard methods. Results showed that in output limitations, turnaround time, and point-of-care applications, nanodiagnostics clearly stood above traditional tests. For example, lateral flow assays with gold nanoparticles achieved a detection limit 100 times lower than conventional ELISA, while lab-on-chip devices by nanotechnology-based methods provide results within minutes or real-time monitoring. They promise detection of pathogens such as HIV, SARS-CoV-2, Influenza virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Plasmodium species. As developments have taken place in this way, problems like biocompatibility, large-scale manufacturing, cost, regulatory approval, and biosafety still exist. Nanotech being engineered brings with it several ethical implications that need to be addressed and scrutinized carefully. In conclusion, nanotechnology certainly provides a highly promising avenue through which infectious disease diagnostics could be completely transformed, facilitating early-stage testing that is spot-on and accessible. Strategic investments in research, in multidisciplinary collaboration, and in regulatory alignment will all go a fair way to fully bringing onto the clinical stage all these nanodiagnostic breakthroughs.