Researchers and GRA VentureLab startup collaborate on new treatment option for ovarian cancer

According to a posting on the Georgia Tech Newsroom Web page, researchers are exploring the use of magnetic nanoparticles engineered to capture cancer cells and the use of an outside-the-body filtration system to remove the captured cancer cells.  John McDonald, a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Biology and chief research scientist of the Ovarian Cancer Institute and postdoctoral fellow Ken Scarberry are developing the system with GRA VentureLab company Sub-Micro.  The Georgia Research Alliance also has provided support for the underlying research.

In mice with free-floating ovarian cancer cells, a single treatment with an early prototype of the nanoparticle-magnetic filtration system captured enough of the cancer cells that the treated mice lived nearly a third longer than untreated ones. The researchers expect multiple treatments to extend the longevity benefit, though additional research will be needed to document that — and determine the best treatment options.

The researchers hope to have a prototype circulation and filtration device ready for testing within three years. After that will come studies into the best treatment regimen, examining such issues as the number of magnetic nanoparticles to use, the number of treatments and treatment spacing. If those are successful, the company will work with the FDA to design human clinical trials.  Read more>