Cancer-monitoring implant soon

Juniper Foo | Jul 22, 2009

This little invention could one day reveal tumor metabolism and how it is responding to therapy. (Credit: Dr Michael Cima/MIT)

The idea of cancer always knocks me out cold with its accompanying consequence of physical and emotional trauma. But hopefully, that sense of haplessness may be diminished somewhat by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Dr Michael Cima's invention of a tumor-monitoring implant.

Barely 0.2 inches (5mm) long, this cylinder comes with a porous membrane. When stuffed with cancer-detecting nanoparticles, it can essentially keep continuous tabs on the tumor's status, showing up on an MRI scan with real-time updates on whether the tumor is shrinking, growing or responding to treatment. This will at least allow doctors to respond accordingly, without relying on guesswork based on the patient's symptoms.

The professor of materials science and engineering has tested his invention on lab mice--successfully, in fact. And he's confident the diagnostic implant could be viable for humans in a few years' time. More on his research here.

Via PhysOrg.com

Filed under: Future Tech
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