Metallic Nanoparticles in Otology

Introduction. Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology and concerns the use of precisely engineered materials at nano length scale, to early detection and prevention, improved diagnosis, proper treatment and follow-up of diseases. This new and exciting specialty finds more and more applications in all medical fields, the otology being part of them. This review considers current developments and future prospects for metallic nanomaterials used in otology. Materials and Methods. The online medical reference databases PubMed, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science and Science Direct were searched with search terms "Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine, Metallic Nanoparticles" in combination with "Otology, ENT, middle ear, inner ear diseases" in turn. Furthermore, we are giving an overview of the work of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca and Tumor Biology Department, The Institute of Oncology "Prof. Dr. I. Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca Results. Metallic Nanoparticles proved to have strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal activities by the inhibition of biofilm formation, destruction of viruses and fungi and stimulation of the host's immune response. These properties make metallic nanoparticles such as silver nanoparticles extremely attractive to be used to treat middle ear infectious diseases such as otitis media. For the inner ear diseases many studies have used metallic nanoparticles to deliver drugs, genes, and growth factors. The current limitations for the clinical application are related to their possible cytotoxic effect. Conclusions. The future treatment of otological diseases could be revolutionized by advances in nanomedicine. The current review suggest that further studies are required to be able to confirm the safety of metallic nanoparticle derived application to use in life.