Nanoscience is the study of the properties of materials and their manipulation at the atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales, where properties differ significantly from those at a larger scale. Nanotechnology is the development and practical applications of structures and devices on a nanometre scale in several fields including medicine.
The European Science Foundation (ESF) defines nanomedicine as “the science and technology of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease and traumatic injury, of relieving pain, and of preserving and improving human health, using molecular tools and molecular knowledge of the human body” (ESF Forward Look on Nanomedicine, Nov 2005). It embraces five main sub-disciplines that in many ways are overlapping and underpinned by common technical issues:
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analytical tools;
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nanoimaging;
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nanomaterials and nanodevices;
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novel therapeutics and drug delivery systems; and
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clinical, regulatory and toxicological issues.
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(2009). Ethical Aspects of Nanomedicine: A Condensed Version of the EGE Opinion 21. In: Allhoff, F., Lin, P. (eds) Nanotechnology & Society. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6209-4_10
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