… offers relief to millions of patients worldwide.
Almost every fourth cancer death had a hollow organ tumor, for example in the bile duct or in the esophagus. Such a tumor can usually not be surgically removed. Only a brief opening of the hollow organ with a stent, i.e. a tubular prosthesis, is possible. However, the tumor grows back and penetrates through the stent into the hollow organ. Ioana Slabu from the Institute for Applied Medical Technology and Benedict Bauer from the Institute for Textile Technology have now developed a novel technology for the therapy of hollow organ tumors, which was awarded second place in the RWTH Innovation Award 2022.
This is a polymer stent that contains magnetic nanoparticles. When electromagnetic fields are applied, these nanoparticles lead to controlled heating of the stent material and thus the tumor. Because the tumor is much more sensitive to heat than healthy tissue, it is destroyed and the hollow organ remains open. The stent thus develops a self-cleaning effect.
Ioana Slabu from the AME explains: “This not only allows us to drastically reduce treatment costs, but above all we make it much easier for millions of patients worldwide.”
There is already a manufacturing process and evidence for magnetic hyperthermia. This new technology has a very high development potential because it can be used for tumors in other parts of the body such as the prostate, stomach, intestines or urinary bladder or for cardiovascular diseases.
The AiF/IGF project started under the project title “ProNano” and was funded by the BMWK. The follow-up project “ProNano2” has now also been approved. The approved project is called: “Validation of the innovation potential of heatable stents for the heat-induced treatment of cavity tumors” and is funded by the VIP program of the BMBF. The Clinic for General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery at the University Hospital Aachen and the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management at the RWTH Aachen complement the consortium with clinical and economic expertise, s. https://www.validierungsfoerderung.de/validierungsprojekte/pronano2.
Every year, RWTH Aachen honors particularly innovative university projects with the Innovation Award. Professor Malte Brettel, Vice Rector for Economics and Industry, presented the certificates to four outstanding projects as part of RWTHtransparent.
Scientific contacts:
dr Ioana Slabu Chair of Applied Medical Technology Phone: 0241/80-89102, email: slabu@ame.rwth-aachen.de
Benedict Bauer, Institute for Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University, telephone: 0241/80 23476, benedict.bauer@ita.rwth-aachen.de
Additional Information:
RWTH Aachen University press release on the Innovation Award
