opsy, which would be carried out in vitro.
Nanotechnology is still a relatively new branch of science that is constantly developing, and as such there are issues that must be considered, such as the impact on the environment and human health. As with any new technology, there is the possibility of individuals abusing it for their own gain and so thought must also be given to how use can be regulated
Before any new product is available for use, especially in the case of nanomedicine, a great deal of testing must be carried out to assess the safety. However, nanoparticles are different from other molecules in that their properties are dependent on size and shape – testing the toxicity of, for example, gold nanoparticles, at a particular diameter or geometry may show that they are not toxic to humans, while a smaller diameter and geometry may be toxic. The environment that nanoparticles are in can also cause changes in diameter thanks to aggregation, so they may behave differently inside a petri dish or even inside an animal, compared to how they would inside a human body – several studies have been undertaken using mice, which, although give an idea of how nanoparticles will react in vivo, cannot be assumed to be fully representative of their reactivity inside humans. This has to be taken into consideration whilst testing for clinical applications.35 However, whilst it is important to move towards human testing, the mental capacity of a test subject must be taken into account – those with learning difficulties or not made fully aware of potential risks could not be considered.36
Thus far, this review has discussed the use of nanomedicine as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool; however, it must be acknowledged that there are rising concerns of nanotechnology being used as a tool for “human enhancement”. The use of medicine to enhance the abilities of a perfectly healthy individual is not new – anabolic steroids, for example, whilst intended for the healing of injuries have been used since the 1970s to enhance performance in sports.37 Although concerns of nanomedicine being used for human enhancement may have been spurred on by science fiction films and books, it is an unfortunate fact that where there is scientific development, there is a possibility of an individual or group of individuals using the advances for their own personal gain. However unrealistic the concerns of nanotechnology for human enhancement are, it is important that the use is still controlled in order to prevent circumstances which would allow such abuse.