10. Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology for Medicine

Nanomedicine is a new field of research and industrial development which aims to use nano-objects for therapeutic purposes. Through miniaturisation, labs-on-chips can improve the performance of medical analysis and diagnosis, while biosensors become less invasive, hence better tolerated or implanted. With the development of nanoscale contrast agents, clinical imaging benefits from better resolution. In the field of therapy, nanocarriers can transport medicines right up to the sick tissue within the organism, while metal nanoparticles can be used for localised destruction of tumours. The possibility of combining diagnosis and therapy by means of these nano-objects (theranostics) also offers hope of improving medical practice generally. Likewise, the controlled combination of stem cells and biomaterials should lead to a new form of regenerative medicine, able to regenerate and repair damaged or destroyed tissue in vivo. This chapter deals precisely with these developments made possible by nanomedicine, discussing the relevant ethical problems which arise also for conventional medicine. It ends with a discussion of the industrial prospects, describing some of the many clinical trials now under way and the promise of innovative drugs for the benefit of the patient.