Chapter Summary
In this chapter, Fritz Allhoff presents some general background on nanomedicine, focusing in particular on the investment that is being made in this emerging field by pharmaceutical companies. The bulk of the essay, however, consists of explorations of two areas in which the impacts of nanomedicine are likely to be most significant: (1) diagnostics and medical records; (2) treatment (including surgery and drug delivery). For each of these areas, Allhoff surveys some of the social and ethical issues that are likely to arise from the applications — for example, privacy and justice concerns. Allhoff also raises some concerns about the trajectory of nanomedical development that are related to its being guided almost entirely by market incentives.
Keywords
- Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor
- Gold Nanoparticles
- Ethical Issue
- Health Care Professional
- Pharmaceutical Company
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This paper was published, in modified form, as Fritz Allhoff (2009) ‘The Coming Era of Nanomedicine,’ The American Journal of Bioethics, 11: 3–11. It appears here by permission of the author.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Works Cited
F. Allhoff (2007) ‘On the Autonomy and Justification of Nanoethics’, Nanoethics, I(3): 185–210.
F. Allhoff (2009) ‘The Coming Era of Nanomedicine’, The American Journal of Bioethics, IX(10): 3–11.
R. Bawa and S. Johnson (2009) ‘Emerging Issues in Nanomedicine and Ethics’, Nanotechnology & Society: Current and Emerging Ethical Issues, F. Allhoff and P. Lin (eds.). Springer, Dordrecht.
J. DiMasi, R. Hansen, and H. G. Grabowski (2003) ‘The Price of Innovation: New Estimates of Drug Development Costs’, Journal of Health Economics, 22: 151–185.
I. El-Sayed, H. Xiaohua, and M. A. El-Sayed (2006) ‘Selective Laser Photo-Thermal Therapy of Epithelial Carcinoma Using Anti-EGFR Antibody Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles’, Cancer Letters 239(1): 129–35.
I. El-Sayed, X. Huang, and M. A. El-Sayed (2005) ‘Surface Plasmon Resonance Scattering and Absorption of Anti-EGFR Antibody Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Diagnostics: Applications in Oral Cancer’, Nano Letters 5(5): 829–834.
A. Hollis and T. Pogge (2008) The Health Impact Fund: Making New Medicines Accessible for All (Incentives for Global Health). Available at http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/igh/ (accessed January 28, 2009).
W. H. Hunt (2004) ‘Nanomaterials: Nomenclature, Novelty, and Necessity’, Journal of Materials 56: 13–19.
I. Obataya, C. Nakamura, S. Han, et al. (2005) ‘Nanoscale Operation of a Living Cell Using an Atomic Force Microscope with a Nanoneedle’, Nano Letters 5(1): 27–30.
National Nanotechnology Initiative. “What is Nanotechnology” Available at http://www.nano.gov/html/facts/whatIsNano.html (accessed July 16, 2007).
National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Technology (2000), “National Nanotechnology Initiative: Leading to the Next Industrial Revolution” Available at http://clinton4.nara.gov/media/pdf/nni.pdf (accessed November 5, 2008).
“Nanotechnology to Revolutionize Drug Delivery” (2005), Pharmatechnologist. com. Available at http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Materials-Formulation/Nanotechnology-to-revolutionise-drug-delivery (accessed August 27, 2008).
K. Philipkowski (1999) ‘Another Change for Gene Therapy’, Wired. Available online at http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/1999/10/31613 (accessed August 16, 2007).
N. L. Sussman, and J. H. Kelly (2003) ‘Saving Time and Money in Drug Discovery: A Pre-emptive Approach’, Business Briefings: Future Drug Discovery (London: Business Briefings, Ltd.).
The Freedonia Group, Inc. (2001). Nanotechnology in Healthcare. Cleveland, OH: Freedonia.
‘The Top 50 Pharmaceutical Companies Charts & Lists’ (2007), MedAdNews 13 (9).
U. K. Tirlapur, and K. König (2003) ‘Femtosecond Near-Infrared Laser Pulses as a Versatile Non-Invasive Tool for Intra-Tissue Nanoprocessing in Plants Without Compromising Viability’, The Plant Journal 31(2): 365–374.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2014 Fritz Allhoff
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Allhoff, F. (2014). The Coming Era of Nanomedicine. In: Sandler, R.L. (eds) Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137349088_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137349088_11
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-230-36703-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-34908-8
eBook Packages: Palgrave Religion & Philosophy CollectionPhilosophy and Religion (R0)