Accurate pharmaceutical balloons will cure cancer
In the future, contrast fluid used with x-rays will be able to transport medicine. This will mean that medicine will be able to reach the exact spot in the body, for example a diseased organ, with considerable accuracy. Research in the area may be of help for people suffering from cancer or rheumatism.
The School of Technology and Health at KTH has received SEK 60 million in funding over a three-year period to conduct research in the area contrast fluid.
The research is divided up into two areas. In part it will be used to make the contrast fluid of use for many different types of fluoroscopy of the body, i.e. ultrasound, computer tomography and MRI scans.
And some of the money will be used to conduct research on contrast fluid that is capable of carrying medicine. The contrast fluid is in actual fact made up of small micro balloons of polyvinyl alcohol, says Lars-Åke Brodin, professor of medical technology at KTH.
“The balloons can be broken down with ultrasound, which leads to the medicine ending up in exactly the right place. As cancer medicine is extremely toxic, it is of great help for the patient that the pharmaceutical preparation can be positioned correctly in a tumour,” says Lars-Åke Brodin.
He adds that an important strength the balloons have, is their durability.
“In the future it will also be possible to apply antibodies on the surface of the balloons, which are effective when treating rheumatic tissue,” says Lars-Åke Brodin.
The research money, a total of EUR 6.1 million, is to be distributed among 10 different participants, including companies and the University. The School of Technology and Health at KTH is the coordinator of the EU-based research project which goes under the name 3MICRON and is a part of the EU’s seventh framework programme (FP7) for research.
For more information, contact Lars-Åke Brodin at lars-ake.brodin@sth.kth.se or ring 08 - 790 48 69.
Peter Larsson