New Advances in Science of the Ultra-Small Promise Big Benefits for
Cancer Patients
ScienceDaily (May 17, 2010) — A $145-million U.S. Federal Government effort to
harness the power of nanotechnology to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of cancer is producing innovations that will radically improve care
for the disease.
That's the conclusion of an update on the status of the program, called the
National Cancer Institute Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer. It appears in
ACS Nano, a monthly journal published by the American Chemical Society.
Piotr Grodzinski and colleagues note in the article that the alliance, launched
in 2004, funds and coordinates research specifically intended to move knowledge
about the small science out of laboratories and into hospitals and doctors
offices in a big way. It builds on more than 50 years of advances in cancer care
that although substantial, still leave cancer as the No. 1 cause of death in the
United States and globally.
The article describes a range of advances, including some showing significant
promise in clinical trials that are poised to make a big impact on cancer. They
promise earlier disease diagnosis, highly targeted treatments that kill cancer
cells but leave normal cells alone, fewer side effects, and improved survival,
the article indicates