Nanotechnology in Medicine: Implications of converging technologies on humanity
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Nanotechnology in Medicine: Implications of converging technologies on humanity
DEBRA BENNETT-WOODS
ABSTRACT Nanotechnology holds great potential as an enabler of a wide range of biotechnologies that will change the face of medicine and may eventually alter the very definition of human health. Deb Bennett-Woods argues that these changes will also pose unprecedented challenges regarding access to health-related technologies, the meaning of consent, and the nature of human identity. KEYWORDS converging technologies; biotechnology; NBIC; global health; nanomedicine; ethics
Introduction In March 2001, the National Science Foundation (NSF) (2001) of the United States released a report entitled Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, in which nanotechnology (NT) was predicted, within the next 15 years, to ‘help prolong life, improve its quality, and extend human physical capabilities’ (Intro, p.3). In this compilation of expert opinions, NT is credited with the potential to advance our understanding of cell biology and pathology; create high performance, biocompatible materials; and revolutionize diagnostics and therapeutics. A similar publication was released at the end of 2003 by Nanoforum.org (2003), the European NT network. Entitled Nanotechnology and its Implications for the Health of the EU Citizen, this report focused on potential developments in diagnostics, drug discovery and delivery, surgical techniques, and implant technologies. Even considering the tendency toward hyperbole (Berube, 2006), numerous targeted reports and expert speculation conclude that we are on the verge of a significant technological breakthrough, the consequences and timeframes of which are very hard to predict. A brief overview of the current and projected applications will illustrate the far reaching potential of NT-enabled advancements. Much of the dialogue associated with NT in medicine has focused on speculation regarding longer-term applications for human enhancement and radical life extension.While these possibilities do effectively capture the imagination and provoke serious challenges for the human community, equally important issues can be raised with respect to shorter-term advancements. The goals of this paper are to provide a basic overview of the significance of NT to biotechnology as it relates to human health and medicine, accompanied by commentary Development (2006) 49(4), 54–59. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1100297
Bennett-Woods: Nanotechnology in Medicine on the ethical dimensions of access, consent, and the nature of human identity raised by NT, with particular attention to the context of the developing world.
NT as an enabler NT is a somewhat nebulous term, used to refer to a broad range of technologies applied at or near the nanometric scale (one billionth of a meter) where matter often exhibits novel properties. While nature has always assembled at the nanoscale, humans are just beginning to develop such capability. Nanobiotechnology represents the synergies that result from
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