On Sept. 13, 2004, the National Cancer Institute announced the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, a 5-year initiative to integrate nanotechnology development into basic and applied cancer research to facilitate the rapid application of this science to the clinic.

The initiative was designed to support the development of nanomaterials and nanoscale devices for molecular imaging and early detection, reporters of efficacy, and multifunctional therapeutics to combat the cancer process.