Fighting Cancer using the Nanotechnology: the American effort

Cancer is now a leading cause of death in developed countries: more than 150,000 per year in France and more than 550,000 in the United States. It is a complex disease caused by a genetic instability and accumulation of multiple molecular changes. The treatment most commonly used are limited to chemotherapy, radiation or cancer surgery.

Nanotechnology have strong potential for significant advances in cancer treatment. In the United States, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) set up in autumn 2004 the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer. A plan for 5 years with $ 144.3 million was launched in 2005, whose strategy is to develop centers of excellence and support multidisciplinary research by helping to create new teams of research and development up technology platforms.

The objective of this case is to review the possibilities offered by nanotechnology in the early diagnosis, imaging and treatment of cancer, and on the progress made recently in the American laboratories, as well as details of the main Action Plan developed by the NCI to promote the use of nanotechnology in the fight against cancer.

In this document:

Introduction

1. Nanotechnology for the early diagnosis of cancer
1.1. Embedded systems
1.2. Nano bar codes
1.3. Nanowires
1.4. Carbon nanotubes

2. Imaging in vivo
2.1. The Quantum Dots
2.2. The silica nanoparticles
2.3. The magnetic nanoparticles
2.4. The probes GAINS
2.5. Other markers

3. Nanoparticles for targeted cancer treatment
3.1. A passive or active targeting
3.2. Nanoscale cargo for a targeted therapy
- Organic Carriers
- Mineral Nanoparticles

4. The plan Nanotechnology and the National Cancer Institute Cancer
4.1. The Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence CCNE
4.2. The Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnerships
4.3. The development of new teams
4.4. A national laboratory on nanotechnologies