NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer – from academic research to clinical interventions

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) of National Institutes of Health has funded and operated the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer - a large multi-disciplinary program which leverages research at the intersection of molecular biology, oncology, physics, chemistry, and engineering to develop innovative cancer interventions. The program has demonstrated that convergence of several scientific disciplines catalyzes innovation and progress in cancer nanotechnology and advances its clinical translation. This paper takes a look at last thirteen years of the Alliance program operations and delineates its outcomes, successes, and outlook for the future.