Introduction

In 2005, cancer overtook heart disease as the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. In order to eliminate death and suffering from cancer, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is engaged in efforts to harness the power of nanotechnology and apply it to basic and applied cancer research. Nanotechnology deals with research and technology development at the atomic, molecular, or macromolecular levels, in the length scale of approximately 1 – 100 nanometer range; a nanometer is equivalent to one-billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology, empowered by the genomic understanding of human cancers, offers promise in far earlier cancer detection, personalized diagnostics for targeted treatment, and nanoscale creation of new classes of antineoplastic drugs for metastatic diseases. Additionally, nanotechnology has the ability to interface basic sciences, biomedical and clinical disciplines, engineering, and computer sciences, thus making cross-disciplinary research essential for the translation of discoveries into clinical application.

The NCI has announced it will invest more than $144 million dollars to fund seven "Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence" (CCNE) via a U-54 grant. A collaborative effort between Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) has been formed with the goal of creating a CCNE center that will be headquartered in the Winship Cancer Institute on the Emory campus. This center will be comprised of 75 researchers and administrators (44- Emory, 26-Georgia Tech, 5-other) working at six different institutions across the country. The title for this center will be the “Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology”. Currently, the Winship Cancer Institute has been awarded an NCI planning grant, known as a P-20 grant, to provide assistance in establishing research programs that are required for an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) designation. This planning grant is a first step in attaining the State of Georgia’s first-ever CCC designation which is awarded with an NCI P-30 grant. According to the NCI, a CCNE center requires a partnership between an NCI Cancer Center (P-20 Planning Grant or P-30 CCC Grant) and a College of Engineering. This requirement makes the relationship between Emory and Georgia Tech the foundation for a large-scale nanotechnology center.

For more information on the NCI's focus on cancer nanotechnology, please visit: http://nano.cancer.gov/