From nanotechnology to nanomedicine: applications to cancer research.

Scientific advances have significantly improved the practice of medicine by providing objective and quantitative means for exploring the human body and disease states. These innovative technologies have already profoundly improved disease detection, imaging, treatment and patient follow-up. Today's analytical limits are at the nanoscale level (one-billionth of a meter) enabling a detailed exploration at the level of DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites which are in fact nano-objects. This translational review aims at integrating some recent advances from micro- and nano-technologies with high potential for improving daily oncology practice.