National Cancer Institute Alliance for nanotechnology in cancer—Catalyzing research and translation toward novel cancer diagnostics and therapeutics

Abstract

Nanotechnology has been a burgeoning research field, which is finding compelling applications in several practical areas of everyday life. It has provided novel, paradigm shifting solutions to medical problems and particularly to cancer. In order to accelerate integration of nanotechnology into cancer research and oncology, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer program in 2005. This effort brought together scientists representing physical sciences, chemistry, and engineering working at the nanoscale with biologists and clinicians working on cancer to form a uniquely multidisciplinary cancer nanotechnology research community. The last 14 years of the program have produced a remarkable body of scientific discovery and demonstrated its utility to the development of practical cancer interventions. This paper takes stock of how the Alliance program influenced melding of disparate research disciplines into the field of nanomedicine and cancer nanotechnology, has been highly productive in the scientific arena, and produced a mechanism of seamless transfer of novel technologies developed in academia to the clinical and commercial space. This article is categorized under: Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Regulatory and Policy Issues in Nanomedicine Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Diagnostic Tools > in vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging

Critical review of nucleic acid nanotechnology to identify gaps and inform a strategy for accelerated clinical translation

“…National Cancer Institute (NCI) has been funding nanotechnology for over 15 years. As part of this commitment, the institute established the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer program with multi-project Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNEs) at its core [71] . CCNEs operated successfully till 2020 [72] and produced a large body of scientific knowledge demonstrated through high impact publications.…”

Perspectives on the Future of Nanomedicine to Impact Patients: An Analysis of US Federal Funding and Interventional Clinical Trials

“…In the website post, the Chief of the Nanotechnology for Cancer programs at the Nanodelivery Systems and Devices Branch (NSDB), NCI (Piotr Grodzinski) stressed that “This doesn’t mean NCI’s interest in nanotechnology is decreasing”. While considerable, the total funding to the CCNE over the past 15 years was only a fraction of the total US federal support for nanotechnology research. , Besides, it is natural that the CCNE would sunset eventually, as they all must. The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has had a large impact on nanomedicine, in fundamental research, as well as stimulating commercialization .…”

“…While considerable, the total funding to the CCNE over the past 15 years was only a fraction of the total US federal support for nanotechnology research. , Besides, it is natural that the CCNE would sunset eventually, as they all must. The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has had a large impact on nanomedicine, in fundamental research, as well as stimulating commercialization . The investment naturally has had a multiplying effect, and much of the impact is likely yet to be realized.…”

“…The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has had a large impact on nanomedicine, in fundamental research, as well as stimulating commercialization. 27 The investment naturally has had a multiplying effect, and much of the impact is likely yet to be realized. Nevertheless, if nanomedicine is going to be truly impactful, companies will have to do take the lead in bringing the discoveries to the clinic.…”

Breast cancer nanomedicine market update and other industrial perspectives of nanomedicine

“…Nanomedicines for Breast Cancer Theranostics Nanomedicine (NM) is a multidisciplinary arena aiming at the design, synthesis, characterization and application of materials and devices with nanoscale dimensions (1e100 nm) [4]. As a rapidly developing field, NM offers concrete opportunities in human cancer theranostics since, contrarily to conventional drugs, nanobased platforms may be designed and tailored for, e.g., overcoming biological barriers, allowing for prolonged blood circulation time, simultaneously exploiting both active tumor targeting and enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects, efficient drug delivery, and reduced or eliminated side effects [5].…”