EU funding for nanotech project to fight cancer

A new European research project will use the latest techniques in nanotechnology to design nanoparticles capable of detecting and locating tumors. Once located, these super-small nanites will also have the capacity to attack and neutralize the tumor. The NANOTHER project is supported by the European Union with 8.5 million euros ($11.0 million) in funding.

Cancer, or the "big C" as it is sometimes referred to, is one of the major killers in Europe today. Data show that close to 3.2 million people in the EU are diagnosed with this disease each year. Despite the recent progress made in tackling cancer, the road ahead for researchers is an arduous one. The EU is, nevertheless, determined to find a solution; it aims to recruit the emerging discipline of nanotechnology in the fight against cancer. NANOTHER is a project that meets the objective, according to the European Commission.

Nanomedicine, the use of nanotechnology in the field of medicine, has yet to be fully exploited. What the researchers hope to do is develop a system whereby cancer treatment drugs can be delivered in a more effective manner. For example, higher dosages could be provided in a more targeted fashion to the tumorous cells, allowing for an overall reduction in the dosage of pharmaceutical compounds used.