In August, researchers at Stanford announced that they had found a way to use nanotechnology to have only cancer cells, keeping healthy tissue safe from the treatment's toxic effects.

Cancer researchers have been trying to figure out a way to better deliver drugs to cancer cells without blasting surrounding cells as well. The Stanford research developed a way to use single-walled carbon nanotubes as targeted medicinal delivery vehicles.

In July, scientists at the said they had discovered a way to use to streamline lower doses of chemotherapy to cancerous tumors, cutting down on the cancer's ability to spread through the body.

Scientists reported that a nanoparticle, carrying a payload of chemotherapy, targets a protein marker found on the surface of certain tumor blood vessels that are associated with the development of new blood vessels and malignant tumor growth.

And last week, that they had developed nanotechnology that can be placed inside living cells to determine whether chemotherapy drugs are reaching their targets or attacking healthy cells.