The ethical dimensions of nanomedicine

Medical practice is about to enter a new era focused on the nanoscale and the practice of nanomedicine, defined as the monitoring, control, construction, repair, defense, and improvement of human biologic systems via engineered nanodevices and nanomaterials. The potential impact of nanomedicine on society is expected to be huge as the nanopharma market grows significantly in the coming years. Given this backdrop, nanomedicine is poised to add a profound and complex set of ethical and societal questions. Some of these are recurring themes in bioethics while others will be discussed in slightly new ways due to nanomedicine's interdisciplinary nature: privacy, confidentiality, risks and benefits, defining disease, and enhancement.