Description
Racing Ahead: Nanomedicine under the Microscope
Small has always been beautiful although smallness has often been overlooked and unappreciated. But now, nanoscale constructs are transforming our world. Small is big. For me, what a long strange trip it’s been regarding nano. Back in 2002, I presented on nanomedicine at the Canadian Space Agency to an audience primarily composed of materials scientists and engineers. After a few excellent questions, I realized that physical scientists and pharmaceutical scientists view the nanoworld quite differently and that there is tension between the two camps. This was back then, but the state of affairs is the same today, maybe even more profound. Since then, nano has become more sectorized, with nanomedicine and nanoelectronics leading the way. There are hundreds of nanomedical products on the market and the potential is vast. The race is on. In spite of this, nanomedicine is still under the microscope. Optimists tout nanotechnology as an enabling technology, a sort of next industrial revolution that could enhance the wealth and health of nations. They promise that many areas within nanomedicine (nanoscale drug delivery systems, theranostics, imaging, etc.) will soon be a healthcare game-changer by offering patients access to personalized or precision medicine. Pessimists, on the other hand, take a cautionary position, preaching instead a go-slow approach and pointing to a lack of sufficient scientific data on health risks, general failure on the part of regulatory agencies to provide clearer guidelines and issuance of patents of dubious scope by patent offices. As usual, the reality is somewhere between such extremes. Whatever your stance, nanomedicine has already permeated virtually every sector of the global economy. It continues to evolve and play a pivotal role in various industry segments, spurring new directions in research, product development and translational efforts.