RESUMO
La enfermedad de COVID-19, a poco más de un año de su aparición, ha provocado más de 2 000 000 de muertes y más de 100 000 000 de contagios a nivel mundial. Ante esta situación, científicos de varias disciplinas han trabajado arduamente para luchar contra ella. Una de las disciplinas involucradas en la investigación sobre COVID-19 es la nanomedicina, que se define como la aplicación de la nanotecnología en medicina. El objetivo de este trabajo es explorar, mediante un análisis bibliométrico, la producción científica sobre nanomedicina aplicada a la COVID-19. Se realizó una búsqueda de publicaciones en Web of Science para el período 2019 - 2021, la cual abarcó cinco áreas de la nanomedicina: administración de fármacos, fármacos y terapia, imagenología in vivo, biosensores y biomateriales. Los datos obtenidos de Web of Science se procesaron en Bibliometrix, una herramienta de código abierto, programada en lenguaje R, que sirve para hacer análisis bibliométricos. Se encontraron 155 publicaciones, las cuales en su mayoría son artículos y revisiones de literatura. Más del 70 por ciento de estas se concentraron en las áreas de administración de fármacos y biosensores. Las revistas científicas donde se han publicado más artículos son ACS Nano, Biosensors & Bioelectronics y Nanomaterials. Los países con mayor producción científica son Estados Unidos, India y China. Las contribuciones más relevantes de la nanomedicina en la lucha contra la COVID-19 son el desarrollo de nanovacunas y el diseño de biosensores nanoestructurados para el diagnóstico(AU)
In the period barely exceeding one year elapsed after its emergence, COVID-19 has caused more than 100 000 000 contagions and more than 2 000 000 deaths worldwide. Faced with this situation, scientists from various disciplines have arduously struggled against the disease. One of the disciplines involved in research about COVID-19 is nanomedicine, which is defined as the medical application of nanotechnology. The purpose of the study was to describe the current status of research about COVID-19 oriented nanomedicine through a bibliometric analysis. A search was conducted for Web of Science publications from the period 2019-2021, covering five nanomedicine areas: 1) drug administration, 2) drugs and therapy, 3) in vivo imaging, 4) biosensors and 5) biomaterials. The data obtained from Web of Science were processed with Bibliometrix, an open code tool programmed in R-language useful for bibliometric analysis. A total 155 publications were found, most of which were articles and literature reviews. More than 70percent of the publications dealt with drug administration and biosensors. The scientific journals publishing the largest number of articles were ACS Nano, Biosensors & Bioelectronics and Nanomaterials. The countries with the largest scientific production were the United States, India and China. The most relevant contributions of nanomedicine to the struggle against COVID-19 are the development of nano vaccines and the design of nanostructured biosensors for diagnosis.
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Bibliometria , Nanomedicina , COVID-19/mortalidade , COVID-19/transmissãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: This paper examines nanotechnology patents in Mexico to gain some insights into: a) the growth of patents over the last twenty years; b) the distribution of assignee patents between private and public institutions; b) the economic sectors engaged in nanotechnology R&D; and, c) whether R&D is oriented to basic research or more applied science and engineering. METHOD: The present research employs the DG concordance system. This approach establishes a procedure to match patents according to their potential use in economic sectors. The research incorporates a two-stage approach, each involving a different method: capturing basic information from Mexican nanotechnology patents; and, establishing concordance with economic sectors. RESULTS: 217 patents were identified; 153 were analyzed. Private companies and individuals registered 30 %. The largest concentration (41%) is found in the economic sector "Manufacture of Chemicals and Chemical Products". Most patents are located in basic research. There are virtually no patents related to the final place in the value chain (final products) or to nanotechnology instruments. CONCLUSION: The article provides an overview of nanotechnology in Mexico in terms of quantity and institutional allocation of patents; also with the economic sectors with which they are associated, and the relation with the place in a value chain. Patent concentration in public academic institutions suggests a lack of nanotechnology research and development capacity in firms. Most patents are related to electronics, an economic sector with significant development in the country.
