Maximizing safe design of engineered nanomaterials: the NIH and NIEHS research perspective.

This article describes the NanoHealth and Safety Enterprise Initiative developed by the National Institutes of Health. This program seeks to decipher the fundamental principles of engineered nanomaterial interactions with biological systems that are relevant to human exposure and physiological response. This interdisciplinary program, involving stakeholders from government, industry, and academe will help us realize the benefits of nanotechnology while also helping to identify and manage any hidden health hazards that might emerge.