Wireless Implant Delivers Chemotherapy Deep into Tumors Without Side Effects

Solid tumors, such as those found in cancer patients, present a significant challenge in treatment due to their dense cellular structure and high interstitial pressure. Traditional drug therapies often struggle to penetrate deeply into the tumor, with drugs remaining trapped in the outer regions. As a result, patients must undergo high doses of chemotherapy, which increases the risk of severe side effects like immune suppression, gastrointestinal toxicity, and drug resistance. These challenges highlight the need for more efficient drug delivery systems that can target the tumor effectively while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Now, researchers have developed a novel implantable drug delivery system that enables anticancer drugs to penetrate deep into solid tumors, potentially revolutionizing chemotherapy treatments by enhancing efficacy and minimizing side effects.

The solution, developed by a multidisciplinary research team led by Seoul National University (Seoul, South Korea), is called Dual-Phoretic Wireless Drug Delivery System (DPw-DDS) that combines electrophoresis and iontophoresis to enable on-demand, pulsatile drug release and deep penetration into tumor tissue. It is powered wirelessly via Near-Field Communication (NFC), eliminating the need for external wiring or batteries. The device integrates drug storage, release, and dosing into a compact, fully implantable unit designed for subcutaneous implantation. The system employs two ionic transport mechanisms: electrophoresis for controlled drug release and iontophoresis to push drugs deep into the tumor tissue, allowing more precise targeting and improved delivery efficiency.

In vivo experiments demonstrated that the system outperforms conventional drug delivery methods, achieving over four times greater drug delivery efficiency and reducing tumor volume by more than 50% within five weeks. No damage to surrounding healthy tissue or major organs was observed, confirming the system's biocompatibility and safety. The study, published in Science Advances, shows that the system can be applied to a wide range of drugs, including nanomedicines, protein therapeutics, and mRNA, making it suitable for treating cancer, chronic inflammation, and other precision medicine applications. Looking ahead, the researchers aim to develop biodegradable, non-retrievable implants to eliminate the need for surgical removal, paving the way for long-term, low-burden treatment options.

"This system integrates controlled release and deep tissue targeting in a compact wireless form. It could reshape how we treat not only cancer but a wide range of diseases requiring precise and sustained drug delivery," said Prof. Seung-Kyun Kang, the lead researcher, from Seoul National University.

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Seoul National University