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Engineering and physical sciences in oncology: challenges and opportunities.
Michael J Mitchell1,2, Rakesh K Jain3, Robert Langer2
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Nature Reviews. Cancer
|October 14, 2017
Summary
Engineering and physics advances are revolutionizing oncology, enhancing cancer detection and treatment. This review highlights key innovations in tumor microenvironment, drug delivery, imaging, and microfluidics for cancer research.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Physics in Oncology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Engineering and physics principles applied to oncology for nearly 50 years.
- Contributions span quantitative understanding of tumor growth, progression, detection, and treatment.
- Early efforts focused on modeling drug distribution, cell cycle kinetics, and tumor growth dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review advances at the interface of engineering, physical sciences, and oncology.
- Highlight research, opportunities, and challenges in integrating these fields.
- Discuss the future outlook for these emerging areas.
Main Methods:
- Review of advances in four key areas: tumor physical microenvironment and drug delivery, cellular and molecular imaging, microfluidics, and microfabrication.
- Focus on technological advancements and their application in oncology.
- Discussion of research progress and future directions.
Main Results:
- Exponential growth in the interface of engineering, physics, and oncology in the past decade.
- Fueled by advances in materials science, microfabrication, nanomedicine, microfluidics, and imaging.
- Significant progress in understanding tumor microenvironment, drug delivery, imaging, and microfluidic applications.
Conclusions:
- Integration of engineering and physical sciences offers new methods to study, detect, and treat cancer.
- Continued advancements are crucial for developing innovative cancer therapies.
- The future outlook is promising for developing novel approaches to combat cancer.