The European Science Foundation (ESF) has conducted a two-year foresight study on nanomedicine, the medical application of nanotechnology. The study is first of its kind in Europe and states that the old continent is at "the leading edge of this new wave of technology". Thanks to the tiny size of nanoparticles, nanomedicine tools can manipulate biological systems of human body at a molecular level and may well revolutionise medical care and research.
According to Professor Ruth Duncan from the University of Cardiff, "Europe is at the forefront of R&D in several areas of nanomedicine, including the development of nano-scale pharmaceuticals and drug delivery systems".
However, the study states that there is an urgent need to improve communication, interdisciplinary collaboration and nanomedical education. A regulatory process specific to nanomedical agents must also be created to help translate laboratory findings into clinical applications and marketable products. Otherwise Europe risks losing the medical and economic benefits from the advances of nanomedicine.
