Drug Delivery
One of the challenges of treating cancer patients with drugs or biological/cell therapies is applying them in a way that preferentially exposes the tumour and limits toxicity in healthy tissue. In Oxford, researchers are applying a range of physical science and engineering principles to devise novel ways to deliver drugs to tumours in a more targeted manner. Examples include the use of ultrasound to overcome the increased interstitial hydrostatic pressure found in tumours and microparticles to cross the blood brain barrier. Applying technology in this way allows the delivery of cancer drugs and diagnostic agents to sites that they would normally be excluded from, whilst protecting normal cells.