香港六合彩中特网

Known as metastatic bone disease, the tumours spread from a primary cancer located elsewhere in the body. The condition is particularly associated with breast cancer. 聽

The bone tumours cause vertebrae to weaken and eventually fracture, leaving people in severe pain, immobility and requiring surgery. In some cases, the fracture may damage the spinal cord and cause paralysis. For these patients, however, quality of life is a key issue and complex surgery may be inappropriate.

鈥�...this project has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of secondary bone tumours. - Dr Kedar Pandya, UKRI

A research collaboration between the University of Leeds,聽听补苍诲听香港六合彩中特网聽has received funding to develop an alternative approach based on developing new imaging and modelling techniques that will enable clinicians to predict which patients are at a high-risk of a vertebra fracturing. 聽

They would then be fitted,聽using minimally invasive surgery,聽with a tailor-made implant to strengthen the spine and prevent the fracture.聽

The project 鈥撀燨ncological Engineering: A new concept in the treatment of bone metastases 鈥� has attracted 拢7 million in research funding, including a 拢5.6 million grant from the聽(EPSRC), part of聽, the Government-funded body set up to support research and innovation.聽

Professor Richard Hall, an expert in medical engineering from the聽聽at聽Leeds who is leading the research collaboration, said:

鈥淭he problem facing doctors is they have no way of knowing which of the spinal vertebrae is going to collapse. But when that happens, patients may require major surgery which involves a lengthy period of rehabilitation.聽

鈥淥ur approach is to intervene by developing new techniques and equipment that will prevent spinal fractures, crucially helping to maintain a patient鈥檚 quality of life at a time when they may be terminally ill.鈥澛�

According to聽, 150 people every day are diagnosed with breast cancer. Although more than 76% of people with the disease survive for more than ten years, some patients do develop stage four聽cancers, of which it is estimated about 50% to 60% get bone tumours. 聽

In stage four聽cancers, the disease has spread to other organs.聽

Within five years, the research team hope to have developed new techniques and materials that will revolutionise the treatment of bone metastases. 聽

The approach is based on personalised medicine, assessing an individual鈥檚 risk that the spine has weakened so much that a vertebra will fracture. In those cases where surgeons intervene to strengthen the spine, the implant will be tailor-made.聽

Dr Kedar Pandya, Director for Cross-Council Programmes at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said:

鈥淭hrough improvements in imaging and modelling and a personalised approach, this project has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of secondary bone tumours.聽

鈥淚t demonstrates the importance of fundamental research and engineering solutions in developing new treatments that will have a profound impact on people鈥檚 lives.鈥澛�

Predicting the risk of bone fracture聽

Researchers will develop news approaches to patient imaging and computer modelling, enabling them to track tumour development in the spine over time and how it might be weakening individual vertebra. The information would be compared with the loading on the spine, enabling clinicians to predict which of the vertebrae is at risk of fracturing.聽

Implant from advanced materials聽

Those vertebrae at a high-risk of collapse would be supported by an implant inserted into the spine using minimally invasive techniques. 聽

The implant would be made from what is called a metamaterial, a material that has uncommon properties that can be fine-tuned to the needs of the patient, for example the material could harden when under stress.聽

Metamaterials are currently used in the aerospace industry but with advances in 3-D computer printing, the research team believe they could be adapted to provide tailor-made structural integrity to vertebrae at high risk of fracturing.聽

The advanced manufacturing group from the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial will be developing a novel 3D printer capable of fabricating the intricate implant designs. Their machine will utilise smart optical systems to print photopolymers at extremely fine resolution.聽

Dr Rob Hewson, co-investigator at Imperial, said:

鈥淭his project allows us to expand our expertise in the analysis, optimisation and 3D printing of structural metamaterials. By working as part of the multidisciplinary team we aim to apply the new approaches and knowledge to improve the quality of life of late-stage cancer suffers. 聽

"We will also be able to apply some of these new approaches back into the aerospace and mechanical engineering sectors where advanced meta-materials have a wide range of potential applications.鈥澛�

Minimally invasive surgery

By using minimally invasive techniques to implant the material, the recovery period for patients will be days, rather than weeks or months with the surgery that is required if one of the spinal bones fractures.聽

The NHS long-term plan for cancer treatment had called on researchers to develop new interventions that would improve the quality of life of patients living with advanced cancers.聽

It is hoped the new techniques will be applied to other areas of the healthcare sector.

Further information

For further details, please contact David Lewis in the press office via email: d.lewis@leeds.ac.uk