Myhr Anne Ingeborg, Myskja Bjørn K
Nanoethics. 2011 Apr;5(1):73-86. doi: 10.1007/s11569-011-0112-4. Epub 2011 Apr 5.
Nanoparticles have multifaceted advantages in drug administration as vaccine delivery and hence hold promises for improving protection of farmed fish against diseases caused by pathogens. However, there are concerns that the benefits associated with distribution of nanoparticles may also be accompanied with risks to the environment and health. The complexity of the natural and social systems involved implies that the information acquired in quantified risk assessments may be inadequate for evidence-based decisions. One controversial strategy for dealing with this kind of uncertainty is the precautionary principle. A few years ago, an UNESCO expert group suggested a new approach for implementation of the principle. Here we compare the UNESCO principle with earlier versions and explore the advantages and disadvantages by employing the UNESCO version to the use of PLGA nanoparticles for delivery of vaccines in aquaculture. Finally, we discuss whether a combined scientific and ethical analysis that involves the concept of responsibility will enable approaches that can provide a supplement to the precautionary principle as basis for decision-making in areas of scientific uncertainty, such as the application of nanoparticles in the vaccination of farmed fish.
纳米颗粒在作为疫苗递送的药物给药方面具有多方面优势，因此有望改善养殖鱼类对病原体引起疾病的防护。然而，人们担心纳米颗粒分布带来的益处可能也伴随着对环境和健康的风险。所涉及的自然和社会系统的复杂性意味着，定量风险评估中获取的信息可能不足以支持基于证据的决策。应对这种不确定性的一种有争议的策略是预防原则。几年前，一个联合国教科文组织专家组提出了实施该原则的新方法。在此，我们将联合国教科文组织的原则与早期版本进行比较，并通过将联合国教科文组织版本应用于聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物（PLGA）纳米颗粒在水产养殖中递送疫苗的情况来探讨其优缺点。最后，我们讨论涉及责任概念的科学与伦理相结合的分析是否能够产生一些方法，为预防原则提供补充，作为在科学不确定性领域（如纳米颗粒在养殖鱼类疫苗接种中的应用）决策的基础。
