From Australian Doctor, 16 July 2007:
Once firmly in the realm of science fiction, nanotechnology is fast becoming a medical reality – so fast that regulators are struggling to catch up.
IN the classic 1960s science fiction film Fantastic Voyage, a medical team is shrunk to micrometre size and injected into the body of a dying scientist, with the mission of removing the blood clot that threatens to claim his life. They have just one hour to complete their task before the miniaturisation process reverses and they are restored to full size.
The story is one of countless nano-sized scenarios that have kept sci-fi fans enthralled for decades. But, while miniaturisation of entire humans is unlikely in the foreseeable future, nanotechnology has now moved from fiction into fact. Dramatic advances in the field promise extraordinary benefits for numerous areas of medicine – including cancer therapy and diagnostics – but they also raise unique safety concerns. Read more.
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freelance science journalist and author
Bianca Nogrady
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