Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL)

The Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) is speeding the development of nanotechnology-based products for cancer patients, reducing potential risks, and encouraging private-sector investment in this promising area of technology development. The NCL performs and standardizes the pre-clinical characterization of nanomaterials intended for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics developed by researchers from academia, government, and industry. The NCL serves as a national resource and knowledge base for cancer researchers, and aids the development and translation of nanoscale particles and devices for clinical applications.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the NCL at its NCI-Frederick facility to provide critical infrastructure support to this rapidly developing field. Working in concert with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the NCL is accelerating the transition of basic nano-biotech research into clinical applications.

The NCL's objectives are to:

• Establish and standardize an analytical cascade for nanomaterial characterization
• Facilitate the clinical development and regulatory review of nanomaterials for cancer clinical trials
• Identify and characterize critical parameters related to nanomaterials' absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity profiles of nanomaterials using animal models
• Examine the biological and functional characteristics of multicomponent/combinatorial aspects of nanoscaled therapeutic, molecular and clinical diagnostics, and detection platforms
• Engage and facilitate academic and industrial-based knowledge sharing of nanomaterial performance data and behavior resulting from pre-clinical testing (i.e., physical characterization, in vitro testing, and in vivo pharmaco- and toxicokinetics).
• Interface with other nanotechnology efforts

Visit the NCL Website: http://ncl.cancer.gov/