Researchers at Houston’s Rice University are developing an implant that could diminish deaths caused by cancer by half.
The device will contain synthetically nurtured human cells and be embedded with sensors to keep track of cancer cells as they mutate, Knewz.com has learned.
In Texas alone, 130,000 new cases are diagnosed annually — 42,000 of which end in death.
The Targeted Hybrid Oncotherapeutic Regulation (THOR) team will be developing a Hybrid Advanced Molecular Manufacturing Regulator (HAMMR) implant that is just 3 inches long, KHOU-TV Houston reports.
The team recently received a federal grant of $45 million for the project, according to Rice University.
“We know [the implants] are safe,” said Rice Assistant Professor of Bioengineering Omid Veiseh, the team’s principal investigator.
“We know we can program them into whatever biologic we want, and yeah, they’ll be grown in a factory and loaded into the device and when they reside in the abdomen they’re alive — meaning they get nutrients from your body like our other cells that exist and leverage that and turn it into the drugs,” Veiseh said.
“Instead of tethering patients to hospital beds, IV bags, and external monitors, we’ll use a minimally invasive procedure to implant a small device that continuously monitors their cancer and adjusts their immunotherapy dose in real-time,” said Veiseh.
“This device will communicate wirelessly, potentially with a smartphone, and also be chargeable externally,” said Dr. Amir Jazaeri, an investigator with the project.
Additionally, the device should only need to be embedded in the body for two months, hinting at the time frame it would need to cure the cancer patient.
The device is expected to significantly reduce the time used to attain test results as with current technology.
Given the complex nature of the device, the HAMMR program will incorporate 20 different labs across the country and draw on a plethora of specialties ranging from material science to artificial intelligence and electrical engineering.
News
Tiny robots made from human cells heal damaged tissue
The ‘anthrobots’ were able to repair a scratch in a layer of neurons in the lab. Scientists have developed tiny robots made of human cells that are able to repair damaged neural tissue1. The [...]
Antimicrobial Resistance – A Global Concern
Key facts Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to [...]
Advancing Pancreatic Cancer Treatment with Nanoparticle-Based Chemotherapy
Pancreatic cancer, a particularly lethal form of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world, often remains undiagnosed until its advanced stages due to a lack of early symptoms. [...]
The ‘jigglings and wigglings of atoms’ reveal key aspects of COVID-19 virulence evolution
Richard Feynman famously stated, "Everything that living things do can be understood in terms of the jigglings and wigglings of atoms." This week, Nature Nanotechnology features a study that sheds new light on the evolution of the coronavirus [...]
AI system self-organizes to develop features of brains of complex organisms
Cambridge scientists have shown that placing physical constraints on an artificially-intelligent system—in much the same way that the human brain has to develop and operate within physical and biological constraints—allows it to develop features [...]
How Blind People Recognize Faces via Sound
Summary: A new study reveals that people who are blind can recognize faces using auditory patterns processed by the fusiform face area, a brain region crucial for face processing in sighted individuals. The study employed [...]
Treating tumors with engineered dendritic cells
Cancer biologists at EPFL, UNIGE, and the German Cancer Research Center (Heidelberg) have developed a novel immunotherapy that does not require knowledge of a tumor's antigenic makeup. The new results may pave the way [...]
Networking nano-biosensors for wireless communication in the blood
Biological computing machines, such as micro and nano-implants that can collect important information inside the human body, are transforming medicine. Yet, networking them for communication has proven challenging. Now, a global team, including EPFL [...]
Popular Hospital Disinfectant Ineffective Against Common Superbug
Research conducted during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week examines the effects of employing suggested chlorine-based chemicals to combat Clostridioides difficile, the leading cause of antibiotic-related illness in healthcare environments worldwide. A recent study reveals that a [...]
Subjectivity and the Evolution of AI Philosophy
An Historical Overview of the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence by Anton Vokrug Many famous people in the philosophy of technology have tried to comprehend the essence of technology and link it to society and human [...]
How Lockdowns Shaped the Virus: AI Uncovers COVID-19’s Evolutionary Secrets
A new research study shows that human behavior, like lockdowns, influences the evolution of COVID-19, leading to strains that are more transmissible earlier in their lifecycle. Using artificial intelligence technology and mathematical modeling, a research [...]
Groundbreaking therapy approved: chances of cure for 7000 diseases:
Hereditary diseases are usually not curable. Now, however, an epochal turning point is taking place in medicine: For the first time ever, a therapy with the CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors has received approval. According to [...]
Uncovering the Genetic Mystery: Why Some Never Show COVID-19 Symptoms
New study shows that common genetic variation among people is responsible for mediating SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infection. Have you ever wondered why some people never became sick from COVID-19? A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that common [...]
AI maps tumor geography for tailored treatments
Researchers have integrated AI approaches from satellite mapping and community ecology to develop a tool to interpret data obtained from tumor tissue imaging, with the aim of implementing a more individualized approach to cancer care. [...]
Lung cancer cells’ ‘memories’ suggest new strategy for improving treatment
A new understanding of lung cancer cells' "memories" suggests a new strategy for improving treatment, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) researchers have found. Research from the lab of cancer biologist Tuomas Tammela, MD, Ph.D. [...]
Artificial sensor similar to a human fingerprint can recognize fine fabric textures
An artificial sensory system that is able to recognize fine textures—such as twill, corduroy and wool—with a high resolution, similar to a human finger, is reported in a Nature Communications paper. The findings may help improve the subtle [...]
