Development for Cancer-fighting Breast Implants
Research is currently underway for developing breast implants that may deter or even detect cancer cells. These advancements might have a huge impact on women who have had breast cancer or those with a history of the disease in their family.
Biomedical scientists at Brown University have published results in the journal, Nanotechnology, documenting their creation of an implant with a microscopic surface that prevents cancer cells from dwelling and thriving. It’s a surface that’s hospitable to healthy breast cells and less so for cancerous breast cells, this is like a “bed-of-nails” surface to cancer cells.
Various types of raised surface implants were tested and I was discovered that those with microscopic “pimples” measuring 23-nanometers each were most successful in helping healthy cells to grow (As a point of reference, a nanometer is 1/50,000th the width of a human hair). After just one day, this surface yielded 15 percent more healthy endothelial breast cells compared to a normal surface in tests. Researchers hope human trials using this technology will begin within five years.
In addition, other scientists are developing a breast implant that would help detect and destroy cancer cells. The new type of breast implant would have imbedded medication in the implants’ polymer material that would help fight infection, reduce inflammation and possibly even target and destroy stray cancer cells. To give breast implants the ability to locally fight breast cancer has the potential to dramatically improve the course of breast cancer treatment since approximately, 444,000 breast implant surgeries are performed every year in the United States.
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