An injectable paste designed to treat bone tumours by eliminating cancer cells while promoting bone regeneration has won funding for further development.
The Dubrowsky Lab at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) in Birmingham, UK, has secured a £110,000 grant to advance the novel biomaterial.
Researchers believe it could transform the treatment of both primary and metastatic bone cancer.
The team, led by research lab manager Dr Lucas Souza, is investigating the injectable paste that is composed of gallium-doped bioglass.
If proven effective, this biomaterial could be a game-changer in cases where complete tumour removal is challenging or inadvisable.
Gallium is a metallic chemical element known for its potent anticancer properties. When integrated into bioactive glass – a material already used in surgical procedures to promote bone regeneration – the compound can eliminate residual cancer cells after tumour excision while encouraging new bone growth.
It also exhibits antimicrobial properties, reducing the risk of surgical site infections.
Dr Souza said: ‘Advances in the treatment of bone cancer have reached a plateau over the past 40 years, partly due to a lack of research studies and the complexity of treating bone tumours. Innovative and effective therapeutic approaches are needed, and this grant from Orthopaedic Research UK provides vital funds for us to continue our research into the use of gallium-doped bioglass in bone cancer treatment.’
A recent study conducted by Aston University in collaboration with ROH reported a 99% success rate in eliminating cancerous cells using gallium-doped bioglass.
This injectable paste holds particular promise for scenarios where:
• Tumours are located near vital organs, making complete excision impractical.
• Surgical margins suggest the presence of residual cancer cells.
• Benign but aggressive bone tumours or metastatic lesions require intervention without the morbidity of extensive surgery.
The minimally invasive application of the paste could lower patient morbidity, shorten hospital stays, and reduce the reliance on antibiotics, whilst also decreasing the likelihood of tumour recurrence, infections at the implant site, and implant failures.
Dr Souza said: ‘The proposed biomaterial has the potential to drastically improve treatment outcomes for bone tumour patients by reducing cancer recurrence, implant-site infection rates, and implant failure rates. This could lead to shorter hospital stays, less antibiotic use, and fewer revision surgeries, ultimately improving bone cancer patients’ survival rates, functionality and quality of life.’
The biomaterial could be used alongside interventional oncology techniques such as cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation.
Cryoablation involves extreme temperature modulation to destroy tumour cells, while radiofrequency ablation achieves similar outcomes using targeted heat generation.
The project is supported by a multidisciplinary team, including Professor Adrian Gardner, director of Research and Development at ROH and Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics at Aston University and Mr Jonathan Stevenson, Orthopaedic Oncology and Arthroplasty Consultant.
Additional collaborators include Professor Richard Martin and Dr Eirini Theodosiou from Aston University, as well as Professor João Lopes from the Brazilian Aeronautics Institute of Technology.
