A small sensor that records and wirelessly relays pressure readings from inside a tumor to detect when the tumor has normal interstitial pressure has been develped by researchers from Purdue University in Indiana supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

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Existing methods of recording the pressure in a tumor require sticking needles inside the mass of cells. Babak Ziaie PhD and director of the Biomedical Microdevices Laboratory at the university and his colleagues developed the small sensor.  

Using microfabrication methods, the team was able to craft a miniature wireless pressure sensor with a Guyton capsule, a perforated capsule that lets interstitial fluid flow through it so the device wirelessly relays information on pressure readings without the use of a needle.

Similar to healthy tissues, tumors require nutrients and oxygen to survive. To accommodate the needs of a growing tumor, nearby blood vessels grow into the mass.

The new vessels in the tumor are twisty, leaky and disorganized. The leaked proteins and fluids caused by the faulty blood vessels increase the pressure in between tumor cells in the interstitial space.

The interstitial pressure inside a mass of tumor cells, which is generally higher compared to the normal, was previously thought to decrease the efficacy of the conventional radiation therapy. Medicines that decrease the pressure inside a tumor exist, but spotting the correct time to start treatment when the interstitial pressure is lowest remains a challenge.

In healthy tissues, pressure differences suck nutrients out of blood vessels and into the interstitial space, where nutrients are absorbed by the cells. Medications flowing through the circulatory system also rely on the same principles to reach cells.

If the interstitial pressure increases, which commonly happens in tumors, the medicine is less likely to be transferred to the diseased region. Consequently, persons with tumors commonly receive a less than sufficient dose of chemotherapy or other available drugs that target cancer.

TagsTumor, Pressure, Tumor Pressure, Cancer, Chemotherapy, medicine, Pressure Sensor