Anti-cancer implant
An implant has been created that destroys cancer cells with the help of light
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
Scientists from Waseda University (Japan) managed to create a wireless implant to fight cancer.
Figure from the press release Waseda University Japanese scientists develop a new device for metronomic photodynamic therapy to facilitate a minimally-invasive and effective cancer treatment in delicate organs – VM.
In recent years, photodynamic cancer therapy has become increasingly popular. It is based on the use of photosensitive agents that are injected into the tumor and then activated with light with a certain wavelength. Low radiation doses are usually used to affect internal organs – 1000 times less than with standard exposures.
The disadvantage of this approach is that the light source must be in close proximity to the malignant cells. Until now, this has made it impossible to use it to treat some hard-to-reach tumors.
However, the development of Japanese scientists is changing the situation. They have developed an optoelectronic device with wireless power supply, which is fixed on the inner surface of the organ and provides a continuous supply of light to the tumor.
The device can be securely fixed for more than two weeks without using seams or medical glue.
The effectiveness of the device was tested on laboratory mice with induced cancer. They were injected with the light-reacting agent photofrin, and then exposed to red and green light for 10 days.
The experiment showed that this approach significantly slows down the growth of the tumor. In some cases, the green light completely destroyed it.
Scientists hope that the device can soon be used to treat people. Compared with traditional methods, the implant has a number of advantages. For example, due to the low light intensity, you don't have to worry about thermal damage to healthy tissues. In addition, the device does not require surgical suturing, so it is suitable for fighting tumors located near large nerves and blood vessels.
Article by Yamagishi et al. Tissue-adhesive wirelessly powered optoelectronic device for metronomic photodynamic cancer therapy is published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering – VM.
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