title: Ethical issues in nanomedicine: Tempest in a teapot?
abstract: Nanomedicine offers remarkable options for new therapeutic avenues. As methods in nanomedicine advance, ethical questions conjunctly arise. Nanomedicine is an exceptional niche in several aspects as it reflects risks and uncertainties not encountered in other areas of medical research or practice. Nanomedicine partially overlaps, partially interlocks and partially exceeds other medical disciplines. Some interpreters agree that advances in nanotechnology may pose varied ethical challenges, whilst others argue that these challenges are not new and that nanotechnology basically echoes recurrent bioethical dilemmas. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the ethical issues related to nanomedicine and to reflect on the question whether nanomedicine generates ethical challenges of new and unique nature. Such a determination should have implications on regulatory processes and professional conducts and protocols in the future.
authors: Chief Scientists Office, Ministry of Health, 39 Yirmiyahu St., Jerusalem, Israel. Allonirit1@gmail.com.|Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Allonirit1@gmail.com.
authors: Irit
authors: I
authors: Allon
authors: Chief Scientists Office, Ministry of Health, 39 Yirmiyahu St., Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Ahmi
authors: A
authors: Ben-Yehudah
authors: Head of Occupational Medicine Services, Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors: Raz
authors: R
authors: Dekel
authors: Centre for Medical Ethics Faculty, Medicine University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors: Jan-Helge
authors: JH
authors: Solbakk
authors: WG Ethics at the European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine, Münster, Germany.
authors: Klaus-Michael
authors: KM
authors: Weltring
authors: University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, VA, USA.|Gertner Institute of Public Policy, Ministry of Health, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel.|Center for Health Law, Bioethics and Health Policy, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel.
authors: Gil
authors: G
authors: Siegal
mesh_terms: D001675:Bioethics; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000941:ethics; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000941:ethics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000941:ethics; D035501:Uncertainty; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Enhancement; Ethics; Nanomedicine; Nanotechnology; Risk; Safety; Social justice; Uncertainty