One of the most dangerous types of cancer is pancreatic cancer. In the US, the disease ranks 4th in the types of cancer with the highest age-adjusted mortality rate. It is also one of the most difficult types of cancer to treat. Currently, the only types of treatment available for pancreatic cancer are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and palliative care, but scientists are looking for new ways to treat this disease. Recently, MIT engineers have grown tiny replicas of the pancreas using either healthy or cancerous pancreatic cells. With these models, researchers can gain new insights with regards to how pancreatic tumors interact with their environment.
The engineers were able to make these tiny replicas using a specialized gel that mimicked the extracellular environment that surrounded the pancreas.
Unlike some of the gels now used to grow tissue, the new MIT gel is completely synthetic, easy to assemble and can be produced with a consistent composition every time.
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The researchers have also shown that their new gel can be used to grow other types of tissue, including intestinal and endometrial tissue.
Learn more about this exciting study over at MIT News.
(Image Credit: Below et al.)
#Cancer #Biotechnology #BiologicalEngineering #PancreaticCancer #Research
(Image Credit: Joanna Kelly and Christopher Below)