Tiny fat bubbles can be used to deliver powerful chemotherapy drugs to the site of tumors. Investigators at Duke University have been injecting chemotherapy into fat liposomes and injecting them into the bloodstream. Using a microwave gun, researchers can melt the fat at the tumor site, releasing potent doses of the drug. Those liposomes that aren't heated don't melt, avoiding the harsh side effects associated when healthy tissue is exposed to chemotherapy. And any chemotherapy that does leak into healthy tissue is released after a period of weeks, allowing the body to cleanse itself. Lead researcher Dr Mark Dewhirst says he believes this approach could be used against a variety of cancer types.
- read the report from the Daily Mail
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