Director's Message   Nanomedicine develops materials and devices operating at the nanoscale to diagnose, treat and monitor diseases. It is expected that nanomedicine would yield implantable devices, 100,000 times smaller than the head of a pin, which will effectively detect diseases without surgical invasion and then eradicate the diseased cells by precisely “pumping” medicine to them. The nanomedicine field joins engineering science with pharmaceutical and medical sciences to translate advances in nanotechnology research into clinical practice. Several nanomaterial-based therapies have already been approved for clinical use and many more nanomaterials are evaluated in clinics. Thus nanomedicine is both “a futuristic” and “a realistic” field with a near-term prospective to improve human health. To address this goal the University of Nebraska Board of the Regents has established the Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine (CDDN) in October 2004. CDDN develops innovative approaches to deliver drugs, genes and imaging agents through nanotechnology to maximize clinical benefit while limiting untoward side effects. Our research is focused on diseases that currently have no cure and only limited palliative therapy including cancer and degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. CDDN currently has 38 world class researchers from clinical and basic sciences departments representing two major campuses of the University of Nebraska, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), and the Creighton University. CDDN is administered through the UNMC College of Pharmacy. In summary our Center 1) provides an integrated focus in drug delivery and nanomedicine; 2) supports research and training of new and established investigators; 3) links scientists in several campuses across the State of Nebraska; 4) combines the intellectual and technological capabilities of these campuses to develop innovative nanotechnologies; and 5) facilitates the transfer of these technologies to biomedical scientists. CDDN integrates expertise in drug delivery, gene therapy, neuroscience, medicine, cancer biology, polymer science, nanotechnology and engineering to make breakthrough advances in nanomedicine to improve well-being of the citizens of our State and the society at large.   Alexander (Sasha) V. Kabanov, Ph.D., Dr.Sc. Parke-Davis Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy Director, Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine University of Nebraska Medical Center