Emerging Applications of Nanomaterials in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders

Nanotechnology has become a multidisciplinary, emerging, and rapidly evolving research field in recent years, an integration of chemistry, engineering, biology, and medicine. In the field of nanomedicine, nanotechnological strategies have been applied to diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This chapter provides a summary of the currently available nanotechnologies developed for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders which are the diseases that affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract including acute, chronic, recurrent, or functional disorders. Various types of nanomaterials (e.g. nanoparticles, liposomes, quantum dots, and others) and their properties affecting their use for detection and treatment of GI disorders are discussed. The nanoparticle-based targeted delivery systems for drugs including antibiotics and chemotherapeutics, biomarkers, and contrast agents developed to detect or treat GI disorders are reviewed. Both advantages of nanomaterial application and challenges for researchers regarding efficient and safe use of nanomaterials in diagnosis and treatment of GI tract diseases are also presented.