Implant may prevent spread of cancer
Scientists are planning the first clinical trials in humans very soon.
A tiny implant that sucks up cancer cells as they move through the body has been developed by scientists in the USA.
Although the device has only been tested in mice with breast cancer, scientists hope that it may one day alert doctors to the spread of cancer, acting as an early warning system for human patients.
The findings, published in Nature Communications, show that the implant could also prevent rogue cancer cells reaching other areas where new tumours could develop.
The device is around 5mm in diameter and is made of a sponge-like material that is already approved for use in medicine.
Experiments showed that if the device was planted under the skin or in the abdominal fat, it would mop up the cancer cells that had begun to move around the body.
Study leader Professor Lonnie Shea, from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, told the BBC that they were planning the first clinical trials in humans fairly soon.
"We need to see if metastatic cells will show up in the implant in humans like they did in the mice, and also if it's a safe procedure and that we can use the same imaging to detect cancer cells," he said.
Cancer Research say that nine out of 10 cancer deaths are caused by the spread of the disease to other parts of the body.
Lucy Holmes, Cancer Research UK's science information manager, added: "We urgently need new ways to stop cancer in its tracks.
"So far this implant approach has only been tested in mice, but it's encouraging to see these results, which could one day play a role in stopping cancer spread in patients."
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