Plastic stents to attack tumours

Patients with a tumour in hollow organs such as the bile ducts have a poor prognosis for survival, as the tumour cannot usually be surgically removed. Only a short-term opening of the hollow organ with a stent as a tubular prosthesis is possible. However, because the tumour grows back through such a stent, the stent must be replaced in regular interventions.

Scientists at RWTH Aachen University and RWTH Aachen University Hospital are pursuing a novel approach to combating these tumours in the project ProNano2. They are working on a plastic stent that can be heated in a controlled manner using nanoparticles. The tumour cells can be specifically attacked by heating, because unlike healthy cells, they react with irreversible damage at temperatures of 43 degrees and above.

For the time being, the research team led by PD Dr Ioana Slabu from the Institute of Applied Medical Technology and Benedict Bauer from the Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University is investigating the performance and effectiveness of the novel plastic stent. It is said to be both supportive and self-cleaning, and thanks to the damage to the tumour tissue, the risky replacement of the stent is no longer necessary.

Additional partners are the Department of Surgery at RWTH Aachen University Hospital with PD Dr Anjali Röth and the Institute of Technology and Innovation Management at RWTH with Dr Susan Stead. The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 1.76 million euros until February 2026. After the end of the project, commercialisation via licensing or spin-off is planned.

Article from "medtech zwo" from 11 April 2023