The application of nanotechnologies into medicine promises to offer solutions when applied to health challenges such as cancer. In particular the development of local therapies will reduce side effects associated with systemic administration of chemotherapy drugs, and will allow preservation or limited resection of organs with small size tumors. Local therapy is also indicated to overcome the intrinsic biological resistance of certain incurable malignancies, leading to failure of conventional treatment approaches. Our research projects aim to develop biodegradable multifunctional anti-cancer materials based on mesoporous silicon to be used for the local treatment of cancer. Porous silicon nanostructures are bioresorbable in vivo. In addition they can be excited by near infrared excitation light offering possibilities for phototherapies, and for light triggered treatment. The development of photoactive porous silicon nanostructures functionalized with organic ligands for applications in imaging, drug delivery and photo-activated therapies, as well as for tissue engineering will be presented [1-4].