Login / Register

Username:


Password: [Lost?]



New User? Click here for your FREE subscription



Physician Assistants
Physician Assistants Post a healthcare recruiting ad

Follow Us


NEWS-Line on Twitter NEWS-Line on Facebook NEWS-Line on Google+ NEWS-Line on LinkedIn NEWS-Line on Pinterest


Physician Assistant Conferences &
Educational Opportunities





Dec. 5, 2022 - 05

SkinBonesCME NOW - On-demand

Skin, Bones, Hearts & Private Parts

More Events

Using 3D Models To Reduce Side Effects Of Radiotherapy | NEWS-Line for Physician Assistants

Using 3D Models To Reduce Side Effects Of Radiotherapy


Source:

The debilitating side effects of radiotherapy could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a breakthrough by University of South Australia (UniSA) and Harvard University researchers.

UniSA biomedical engineer Professor Benjamin Thierry is leading an international study using organ-on-a-chip technology to develop 3D models to test the effects of different levels and types of radiation.

A microfluidic cell culture chip closely mimics the structure and function of small blood vessels within a disposable device the size of a glass slide, allowing researchers and clinicians to investigate the impact of radiotherapy on the body’s tissues.

To date, scientists have relied on testing radiotherapy on cells in a two-dimensional environment on a slide.

Professor Thierry, from UniSA’s Future Industries Institute (FII) and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology (CBNS), says the organ-on-a-chip technology could reduce the need for animal studies and irrelevant invitro work, both of which have major limitations.

“An important finding of the study is that endothelial cells grown in the standard 2D culture are significantly more radiosensitive than cells in the 3D vascular network. This is significant because we need to balance the effect of radiation on tumour tissues while preserving healthy ones,” Prof Thierry says.

The findings, published in Advanced Materials Technologies, will allow researchers to fully investigate how radiation impacts on blood vessels and – soon – all other sensitive organs.

“The human microvasculature (blood vessel systems within organs) is particularly sensitive to radiotherapy and the model used in this study could potentially lead to more effective therapies with fewer side effects for cancer patients,” Prof Thierry says.

More than half of all cancer patients receive radiotherapy at least once in the course of their treatment. While it cures many cancers, the side effects can be brutal and sometimes lead to acute organ failure and long-term cardiovascular disease.

Prof Thierry’s team, including UniSA FII colleague Dr Chih-Tsung Yang and PhD student Zhaobin Guo, are working in close collaboration with the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Harvard University’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with the support of the Australian National Fabrication Facility.

“Better understanding the effect of radiotherapy on blood vessels within organs – and more generally on healthy tissues – is important, especially where extremely high doses and types of radiation are used,” Dr Yang says.

The researchers’ next step is to develop body-on-chip models that mimic the key organs relevant to a specific cancer type.

Source:University of South Australia

Photo Credit:Joe Vittorio

Pictured:UniSA bioengineer Dr Chih-Tsung Yang pictured with the microfluidic cell culture chip in the foreground.







Share This!


Physician Assistant Jobs


Physician Assistant / Nurse Practitioner - ORTHOPAEDICS

Florida Orthopaedic Institute
Gainesville and Ocala, Florida

Maze Sexual and Reproductive Health seeking NP/PA.

Maze Health
Manhattan and Purchase, New York

Physician Assistant - Interventional Pain Management

Florida Orthopaedic Institute
Tampa Bay area,, Florida

Physician Assistant Opportunities: 1) Hip & Thigh, Knee & Leg - 2) Hand, Wrist, Elbow & Shoulder

Florida Orthopaedic Institute
Tampa Bay area,, Florida

APPs (APN or PA) - Primary Care

Summit Health
New Jersey

Physician Assistant

Amherst Family Practice
Winchester, Virginia

More Jobs
(Dismiss) Thank you for visiting NEWS-Line! Please sign up, login, or follow us on your favorite social networks
to receive custom tailored eNews, job listings, and educational opportunities for your specific profession.