Several nanomachines and other nano-objects that are currently under investigation in medical research and diagnostics will soon find applications in the practice of medicine. Introduction of nanobiotechnologies in medicine will not create a separate branch of medicine, but simply implies improvement in diagnosis as well as therapy, and can be referred to as nanomedicine.

Current research is exploring the fabrication of designed nanostructures, nanomotors, microscopic energy sources, and nanocomputers at the molecular scale, along with the means to assemble them into larger systems, economically, and in large numbers.

Artificial nanostructures such as nanoparticles and nanowires, being of the same size as biological entities, can readily interact with biomolecules on both the cell surface and within the cell. Nanomedical developments range from nanoparticles for molecular diagnostics, imaging and therapy, to integrated medical nanosystems, which may perform complex repair actions at the cellular level inside the body.

This research activity is focused on those materials that, in response to an external stimulus (e.g., the application of an electric or magnetic field, irradiation of a suitable electromagnetic radiation, stimulation with ultrasounds, etc.) change one or more of their functional or structural properties. The objectives of this research are the improvement of standard nanoplatforms for drug delivery and cell surgery, and the exploration of innovative solutions, emerging by a multidisciplinary approach that involves the merging of engineering, biology, physics, and chemistry.