The future of nanomedicine: Promises and limitations

Abstract

The nascent field of nanomedicine has evoked enormous interest among physical and biological scientists and has already attracted hundreds of millions of dollars of research funding. The great appeal of nanomedicine lies in its promise of using the unique properties of nanoscale materials to address some of the most challenging problems of medical diagnosis and therapy. While some questions have been raised about the possible toxicities of nanomaterials, and about the ethical implications of applying these advanced, but undoubtedly expensive, technologies to medical practice, for the most part nanomedicine has enjoyed unalloyed enthusiasm from both its proponents in the research community and from policy makers. However, will the promise of nanomedicine actually be fulfilled? This paper discusses the internal intellectual culture of nanomedicine and how that gives rise to problems and contradictions that may slow its evolution and introduction into clinical practice.