Researchers have developed an implant that could deliver next-generation therapies for ovarian cancer precisely where they are needed while simultaneously monitoring how the disease responds.
The project was carried out by a team at CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices based at the University of Galway, along with collaborators from the University of Minnesota, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Wyss Institute.
The research was published in the journal Device. It showed how the team developed a flexible, porous implant designed to sit inside the peritoneal cavity—the space surrounding the abdominal organs in a woman’s body where ovarian cancer predominantly occurs. The device is designed to connect to an external port through the skin so it can be replenished with therapeutic agents as often as needed without requiring further surgery.
Dr. Aoibhín Sheedy, a Ph.D. graduate with CÚRAM at the University of Galway and lead researcher on the project, said, “One of the most frustrating aspects of treating ovarian cancer is that we know localized delivery of therapy works better, but the tools we’ve had until now weren’t built for the job. We designed this implant with ovarian cancer patients in mind. We wanted an implant that can deliver living cell therapies repeatedly, reliably and with real precision to the tumor site.”
Built for repeated local treatment
Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at late stages, as symptoms such as bloating, pain and pelvic pressure are nonspecific and can be overlooked. Treatment often involves surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, but targeted treatments and effective methods of detecting recurrence are currently unavailable. There is a critical need for new therapeutic approaches for ovarian cancer.
The implant is made from a flexible biomaterial that conforms naturally to the body’s internal contours. Its porous membrane allows therapeutic cargo to diffuse gently and evenly into the surrounding tissue, reducing the risk of mechanical complications.
In preclinical studies, the implant remained fully functional for up to 70 days with no implant-related complications and showed significantly better tumor control over time than conventional treatments. The team has designed this implant to deliver living cell therapies, the most challenging type of therapy to deliver, but it could be used to deliver a range of cell- or non-cell-based therapies.
Dr. Martin Felices, co-senior author and associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, said, “The tricky part about working with novel therapies, such as immunotherapies, in the setting of ovarian cancer is that repeated delivery is done with outdated materials that are not designed for this setting. It is also very difficult to sample through these systems. The delivery system, created by Dr. Eimear Dolan’s laboratory, allows for safer repeated delivery of cellular and biologic therapies in the context of the peritoneal cavity. It also allows us to sample the effects of those therapies in the tumor microenvironment in real time, which is extremely exciting.”
Sampling the tumor environment
A key feature of the implant is its monitoring capability. By applying gentle suction through the same external port, a sample of fluid can be drawn from inside the peritoneal cavity during treatment without any additional procedure.
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Galway Dolan, and co-lead on the research, said, “What excites us most is the two-way nature of this approach. It doesn’t just deliver living cell therapies, it lets us create a picture of what’s happening inside the peritoneal space. Clinicians could use this to track how the immune cells are performing, whether the tumor is responding, and then adapt treatment accordingly. That kind of real-time intelligence is something we’ve never had access to before in this setting.”
The researchers envision that the implant would be put in place during the initial surgery patients undergo to remove as much tumor tissue as possible, allowing it to then address any residual disease in the weeks and months that follow. The ultimate aim would be to leave the implant in long term to allow for local monitoring of disease recurrence and early retreatment if required.
Professor Melissa Gellar, professor of gynecologic oncology and associate director of clinical research at the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota and co-lead on the research, said, “This work represents a shift in how we think about treating ovarian cancer, bringing therapy directly to the disease site while simultaneously learning from the tumor microenvironment in real time, which provides important insights to guide precision care.”
Potential beyond ovarian cancer
The research also highlights the possibilities of cross-disciplinary research. While further studies are needed before this approach reaches clinical trials, the team of engineers and clinicians believe its versatile design could ultimately benefit patients with other peritoneal cancers, including gastric, colorectal and pancreatic disease.