Researchers in Ireland have developed an implant that releases therapeutic agents and monitors tumour response in mice with ovarian cancer, potentially improving how this cancer is treated. 

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and usually requires surgery followed by drug treatment. However, the disease frequently returns and remains one of the leading causes of cancer death among women. Delivering therapies directly into the abdominal cavity can make them more effective. 

Researchers at EARA member the University of Galway developed a flexible implant that sits in the abdominal cavity and can be refilled with therapeutic agents, like chemo- or immunotherapies, through a small port under the skin. In female mice carrying human ovarian tumours, the implant was used to deliver weekly doses of an experimental immunotherapy combining natural killer (NK) immune cells, which help destroy cancer cells, with IL-15, which helps NK cells survive and remain active.  

Compared with the same treatment given by standard injections into the abdominal cavity, the implant provided better long-term control of tumour growth and improved survival. It also remained functional for up to 70 days without implant-related complications. 

“What excites us most is the two-way nature of this approach. It does not just deliver living cell therapies, it lets us create a picture of what is happening inside the peritoneal space. Clinicians could use this to track how the immune cells are performing, whether the tumour is responding and adapt treatment accordingly,” said Eimear Dolan, from the University of Galway and co-leader of the research published in Device. 

Eimear Dolan. CREDIT: University of Galway.