Nitric Oxide Release Device for Remote-Controlled Cancer Therapy by Wireless Charging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional phototherapies struggle with light penetration, limiting their effectiveness for deep-seated tumors.
• Effective cancer treatment requires methods that can reach and treat localized or deep lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an implantable device for long-term, remote-controlled nitric oxide (NO) gas therapy for cancer.
• To overcome the limitations of phototherapy by utilizing gas-based treatment with enhanced penetration.

Main Methods:

• An implantable NO-release device (NO-wLED) was created using a wirelessly powered light-emitting diode (wLED) and S-nitrosoglutathione encapsulated in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS).
• The device's NO release was triggered by wireless charging, and its therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

• The NO-wLED successfully released nitric oxide (NO) upon wireless activation, reaching concentrations effective for cancer cell killing (0.43 × 10^-6 m min^-1).
• In vivo studies demonstrated significant inhibition of orthotopic tumor growth following implantation and wireless irradiation of the NO-wLED.
• The device also showed potential in preventing cancer recurrence post-surgery through sustained NO release.

Conclusions:

• The developed NO-wLED offers a promising strategy for in vivo gas therapy, overcoming phototherapy's penetration issues.
• Remote wireless control enables targeted and sustained NO delivery for effective cancer treatment and prevention of recurrence.