Contributed by Carla Sharetto| 14 September, 2004 07:45 GMT
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has announced a new $144.3 million, five-year initiative to develop and apply nanotechnology to cancer. Nanotechnology, the development and engineering of devices so small that they are measured on a molecular scale, has already demonstrated promising results in cancer research and treatment.
"Nanotechnology has the potential to radically increase our options for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer," said Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., director of the National Cancer Institute. "NCI's commitment to this cancer initiative comes at a critical time."
To carry out the initiative, the NCI is forming the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer -- a comprehensive, integrated initiative that involves researchers, clinicians, and public and private organizations that have joined forces to develop and translate cancer-related nanotechnology research into clinical practice.
"Central to this initiative will be multidisciplinary partnerships involving physicists, biologists, clinicians, engineers and other experts that can translate knowledge on cancer and nanotechnology into clinically useful products," said NCI Deputy Director Anna Barker, Ph.D.
The new NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer is one of the first steps in implementing the Cancer Nanotechnology Plan, which was developed over the past 18 months with the input of a broad cross-section of the cancer research and clinical oncology communities. The NCI Alliance consists of four major program activities:
Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNEs): The primary goal of the CCNEs is to integrate nanotechnology development into basic and applied cancer research.
Multidisciplinary research teams: Given the multidisciplinary nature of nanotechnology research, investigators with basic science and clinical backgrounds will require training to optimize the development and translation of nanotechnologies toward clinical oncology applications.
Nanotechnology platforms for cancer research: Over the next five years, investigator-initiated and directed project research will be supported in six key programmatic areas: molecular imaging and early detection, in vivo imaging, reporters of efficacy (e.g., real-time assessment of treatment), multifunctional therapeutics, prevention and control, and research enablers (opening new pathways for research).
Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL): The NCL will perform and standardize the pre-clinical characterization of nanomaterials developed by researchers from academia, government, and industry.
Among the key components of the Cancer Nanotechnology Plan are milestones to measure success over two time periods. Within the first three years, the plan calls for acceleration of projects that hold promise for near-term clinical application. After three years, the Alliance will focus on developing solutions to address more difficult technological and biological problems that have the potential to impact detection and treatment.
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