Small medicine, big possibilities
Nanomedicine is the application of nanotechnology to health care and it promises to significantly enhance medical diagnoses and therapies. The EU-funded 'European network of trans-national collaborative RTD in the field of nanomedicine' (EURONANOMED) project aimed to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial/clinical applications in order to shorten the time from bench to bedside. The initiative was carried by 24 partners from 18 countries or regions. They sought to foster the competitiveness of European nanomedicine players through the support of transnational research, collaboration and technological development projects. EURONANOMED developed and coordinated European-wide programmes based on three joint transnational calls for proposals in nanomedicine. In total, 24 research projects were selected, involving 500 research teams from 25 countries or regions. These projects encompassed all three subfields of nanomedicine: targeted drug delivery, diagnostics and regenerative medicine. Identifying obstacles and barriers to joint activities and raising solutions to overcome these barriers were important strategic issues that were met. In addition, EURONANOMED contributed to the identification and analysis of legal and safety aspects in the field of nanomedicine. Several press conferences and media activities also ensured a growing interest in the project. EURONANOMED's success will ultimately help to shorten the time-to-market of innovative products and, more importantly, the time for patients waiting to benefit from such advancements.
