Smart Nanoparticles for Biomedicine explores smart nanoparticles that change their structural or functional properties in response to specific external stimuli (electric or magnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, ultrasound, etc.). Particular attention is given to multifunctional nanostructured materials that are pharmacologically active and that can be actuated by virtue of their magnetic, dielectric, optically-active, redox-active, or piezoelectric properties. This important reference resource will be of great value to readers who want to learn more on how smart nanoparticles can be used to create more effective treatment solutions.
Nanotechnology has enabled unprecedented control of the interactions between materials and biological entities, from the microscale, to the molecular level. Nanosurfaces and nanostructures have been used to mimic or interact with biological microenvironments, to support specific biological functions, such as cell adhesion, mobility and differentiation, and in tissue healing. Recently, a new paradigm has been proposed for nanomedicine to exploit the intrinsic properties of nanomaterials as active devices rather than as passive structural units or carriers for medications.
Ciofani, Gianni: - Gianni Ciofani (born on August 14th, 1982) is Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Torino, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Torino, Italy) and Senior Researcher at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Smart Bio-Interfaces Research Line (Pontedera, Pisa, Italy).
He received his Master Degree in Biomedical Engineering (with honors) from the University of Pisa, Italy, in July 2006, and, in the same year, his Diploma in Engineering (with honors) from the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa, Italy. In January 2010, he obtained his Ph.D. in Innovative Technologies (with honors) from the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. From January 2010 to August 2013 he was Post-Doc at the IIT, Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, where, from September 2013 to October 2015, he was Researcher in the framework of the Smart Materials Platform. In October 2015 he was appointed Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Torino, maintaining his research activity in IIT where he is currently Principal Investigator of the Smart Bio-Interfaces Research Line.
His main research interests are in the field of smart nanomaterials for nanomedicine, bio/non-bio interactions, and biology in altered gravity conditions. He is coordinator or unit leader of many grants/projects, and in 2016 he was awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. Gianni Ciofani is author of more than 100 ISI papers (H-index 25, excluding self-citations), 3 edited books, and 12 book chapters. He delivered about 25 invited talks/lectures in international contexts and, for his research activity, he was awarded several national and international prizes. He serves as Reviewer for more than 100 international journals and as Editorial Board Member of the International Journal of Biological Engineering and of Advances in Nano Research; he is Senior Editor of Nanomaterials & Nanosciences and Associate Editor of Frontiers in Nanobiotechnology.
Gianni Ciofani is professor of Biomimetic Systems and Bionanotechnologies, and supervisor of several M.Sc. and Ph.D. students.
