The COST Action “Cancer Nanomedicine: from the Bench to the Bedside” was created and financially supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology, a funding organization for research and innovation network of the European Commission), to change that paradigm. It brought together over 200 scientists, clinicians, industry leaders, and regulatory experts across more than 30 European countries, establishing an unprecedented platform for integration, strategy, and action in the field.
Under a multidisciplinary leadership and chaired by the presenter, the Action redefined how Europe approaches cancer nanomedicine. It structured its work into five synergistic Working Groups, spanning from nanoscale mechanisms and smart delivery platforms to preclinical models, regulatory pathways, and training & dissemination. Each group worked not in isolation but as part of a coordinated ecosystem designed to accelerate translation and promote systemic impact.
Through intensive networking, interdisciplinary workshops, and short-term scientific missions (STSMs), the Action empowered early-career researchers, built durable collaborations, and supported the emergence of a new generation of translational scientists. It fostered protocol harmonization, established translational benchmarks, and initiated conversations with regulatory bodies to reduce the bench-to-bedside gap.
Importantly, the network did more than connect researchers — it catalyzed vision. It mapped unmet clinical needs, aligned innovation with patient-centered outcomes, and produced strategic documents (including policy briefs and technology roadmaps) that continue to inform the community. Several follow-up initiatives have already emerged, including collaborative publications, joint grant proposals, and newly formed research consortia focused on regulatory innovation and translational acceleration.
What emerged was not simply a network, but a movement: one that challenged the passive accumulation of data in favor of strategic, transdisciplinary design for impact. The Action demonstrated that with the right structure, shared vision, and open collaboration, Europe can act as a translational powerhouse in cancer nanomedicine.
This abstract presents the outcomes, structure, and legacy of a COST Action that turned fragmentation into cohesion, and scattered research into strategic coordination. It serves as a call to continue building on this foundation — not just to move from bench to bedside, but to ensure that innovation reaches the patients who need it most.