Frontiers in Nanomedicine

  Dawn Willow, J.D., Legal Fellow
  Center on Nanotechnology and Society

Nanotechnologists and corporate executives from around the world gathered in San Francisco last month to discuss new scientific and business ventures in nanomedicine during the International Congress of Nanotechnology's (ICNT) NanoBio 2006 Conference. Lynn Hudson, director of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Office of Science Policy Analysis, keynoted the conference and explained how, through nanotechnology, the practice of medicine will evolve from treating disease and illness to a practice that is predictive, personalized, and pre-emptive. Nanomedicine promises biomedical breakthroughs in drugs, medical devices, and diagnostics that will help to eliminate cancers,¹ enable regenerative medicine, advance DNA sequencing, create non-invasive and inexpensive diagnostics, and develop combination therapies.

Cutting Edge of Nanomedicine Research
For example, Northwestern University scientists Samuel Stupp, Ph.D., and John Kessler, M.D., are using peptide amphiphiles to form a 3-D scaffold to support cell growth to treat spinal cord injury. Other areas of therapeutic and diagnostic research in nanotechnology include the following:

carbon nanotube X-ray devices for in vivo cancer detection and treatment;

• targeted magnetic nanoparticles for brain tumor imaging and therapy;
  
• enzyme-sensitive nanoparticle coatings to increase tumor-targeting capabilities of smart nanoparticle platforms;
  
• smart nanoparticle probes for intracellular drug delivery and gene expression imaging; and
  
• antibody-conjugated quantum dots to detect and quantify human breast cancer biomarkers.

Along with efficacy, safety is an essential standard of evaluation for any new drug or device. In nanomedicine, scientists are especially concerned with toxicity, characterization, and exposure pathways. NIH is evaluating several safety issues, including: particle pathways in the human body; the length of time nanoparticles remain in the body; the effects on cellular and tissue functions; and access to systemic circulation through dermal exposure, and unanticipated reactions in vivo. Additionally, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) is assessing carbon nanotube toxicity on respiratory tracts in mice, and other risk issues concerning maladaptive conformation and agglomeration of nanoparticles.

Nanomedicine's Potential as a Big Business
Last year, investment in nanotechnology included $4.5 billion by government, $4.6 billion by corporations, and $0.497 by venture capital, according to Lux Research Senior Analyst, Mark Bunger. And, in terms of biomedical research, the federal government is the largest funder in the United States; for example, NIH's FY 2006 investment in this arena is $28.5 billion -- 90% of which is allocated to extramural grants (including grants to foreign institutions).

In addition to presenting scientific research, speakers discussed commercialization -- the process of translating scientific ideas into viable products and services. Mr. Bunger noted that investment return in nanomedicine will be found at the intersection of drugs and devices through the innovation of device-like nanoparticles and nanosystems. Speaking on intellectual property (IP) issues, the chief architect of IBM's Global Information Technology Services explained how he analyzes the market in terms of "capitalization of assets" rather than "commercialization," where value is created by protecting innovation though patents (and other IP protections) and enabling business by "patent-spawning," or tying IP strands together, to create new entry points into the market.

Several conference speakers emphasized the importance of a global effort in nanomedicine that spans the gamut from developing therapies in the lab to bringing clinical products to market. By providing a forum for scientists from around the world to present cutting-edge research, share ideas and address commercialization issues, the ICNT conference began to foster such collaboration.

Dawn M. Willow, J.D., is a legal fellow at the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future and the Center on Nanotechnology and Society at Chicago-Kent College of Law/Illinois Institute of Technology

¹ NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, National Institute of Health, Cancer Nanotechnology Plan, A Strategic Initiative to Transform Clinical Oncology and Basic Research Through the Directed Application of Nanotechnology (July 2004), available at http://nano.cancer.gov/about_alliance/cancer_nanotechnology_plan.pdf (last visited June 30, 2006).