Abstract
After nearly two decades of substantial investment in the field of nanomedicine within South Africa, this study undertakes an investigation into the specific diseases that have been targeted for research and development, as well as the key actors and collaborative networks involved in this burgeoning field. To accomplish this, the study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining bibliometric and scientometric techniques alongside a comprehensive review of existing literature. The study’s findings illuminate that the diseases selected for emphasis in nanomedicine research closely align with the prevalent health challenges faced by South Africa. Notably, these ailments encompass cancer, bacterial infections, and tuberculosis, all of which significantly contribute to the country’s disease burden. Furthermore, the investigation highlights that research-intensive South African universities play a pivotal role as the primary actors in advancing nanomedicine initiatives. Over time, collaborative endeavors among these key actors have seen a noteworthy upswing. These collaborations have fostered robust connections between South African institutions and counterparts in Asian nations and the Middle East. It is worth emphasizing that nanomedicine is a resource-intensive field, necessitating substantial capital investment. Collaborative initiatives have, in turn, granted access to critical infrastructure and materials that would have otherwise been beyond the reach of some participating entities. Remarkably, these collaborative partnerships have not only facilitated scientific progress but have also cultivated social capital and trust among involved stakeholders. These valuable intangible assets hold great potential as South Africa advances towards more exploitative phases of technology development within the domain of nanomedicine. Moreover, South Africa is strategically positioning itself to cultivate a critical mass of expertise in nanomedicine, recognising the significance of skilled human resources in harnessing the full potential of this technology in the future. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6173875/
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1317137 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-15 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| Volume | 14 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Jan 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2024 Salie and Saidi.
Funding
The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work is based on research supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant No 98788). The bulk of the funding was from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa which funded 38% of the studies. The NRF have different forms of funding nanotechnology, most notably is the Nanotechnology Flagship Projects (NFP) Grants which is designed to promote research projects that demonstrate the benefits of nanoscience and nanotechnology and their impact on some of the challenges facing South Africa. The focus of the funding could be one of the drivers for the increased research on the disease burden of the country such as TB. A further aim of NRF funding is emphasising human capacity development and collaboration, which could also account for several partnerships which are being formed resulting in the development of networks as shown in . A further funding instrument by the NRF, encouraging collaboration, is the National Nanotechnology Equipment Programme which aims to position South Africa as a player in the emerging areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology, aligned with the objectives set forth in the National Nanotechnology Strategy. The national organisations, particularly universities and research institutions, also funded projects on nanomedicine. In many cases, organisational funding is provided as an additional support by the hosting organisation to augment the financial resources from the DSI and NRF. There are few exceptions of projects that were solely funded by a local university, and there were also projects jointly funded by two national universities. An analysis of the local organisations reveals that organisations that provided funding are among the most active actors involved in the exploration of nanotechnology in the country. The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) had several joint funded projects with the NRF, and in some cases, it was difficult to make distinctions on the two. However, the funding from the DSI that was channeled through South African Research Chairs Initiative (SarChi) for Medicinal Chemistry and Nanotechnology was distinct. This funding was closely tied to nanomedicine and this research group, housed at Rhodes University, was active in the nanomedicine landscape in terms of research output. This could be because the SarChi initiative is designed to expand the scientific research base of the country in areas that are relevant to national development and global competence of the knowledge economy ().
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| South African Research Chairs Initiative | |
| National Research Foundation | 98788 |
| Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India | |
| Defence Science Institute | |
| Norsk Revmatikerforbund |
Keywords
- actor-collaboration networks
- disease
- drug delivery
- funding
- nanomedicine
- nanotechnology
- networks
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