February 13, 2025
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February 13, 2025
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QUB researchers Use 4D Printing for personalized smart breast implants

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QUB researchers Use 4D Printing for personalized smart breast implants
4D Printing for personalized smart breast implants/ Source: Wellness Kiensk

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the realm of breast cancer management by making 4D printed smart breast implants. Their pioneering work centers on the creation of personalized 4D printed implants, a revolutionary development with the potential to significantly enhance both aesthetic and therapeutic outcomes for individuals affected by breast cancer. These dynamic implants are engineered to adapt in size, fitting seamlessly within the unique contours of a patient’s breast. Additionally, they are capable of dispensing chemotherapy drugs, serving as a powerful defense against the recurrence of cancer cells in the affected area. The research has been published in the journal Science Direct.

The development of personalized 4D printed smart breast implants by the researchers at Queen’s University Belfast represents a profound leap forward in breast cancer management. By combining adaptability and drug delivery capabilities, these implants have the potential to significantly enhance the lives of breast cancer patients, offering a more personalized and effective approach to treatment and recovery.

Tailoring Smart Breast Implants to the Individual: A Leap Forward in Breast Cancer Care

Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent forms of cancer worldwide, with a particularly high incidence among females. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2.3 million cases are reported annually, and approximately 30% of patients succumb to this disease, rendering it the most common cancer among adults. In Northern Ireland alone, around 1,400 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

QUB researchers Use 4D Printing for personalized smart breast implants
QUB researchers 4D print personalized ‘smart’ breast implants/ Source: Voxel matters

In pursuit of more effective breast cancer management, the Queen’s University Belfast research team harnessed emerging technologies, notably 4D printing to make smart breast implants. This innovative approach involves the fabrication of dynamic 3D printed objects capable of morphological and characteristic transformations. These alterations are predictable and programmable, driven by external stimuli like changes in pH, temperature, humidity, light, or a magnetic field.

Typical transformations include shape-shifting capabilities, encompassing folding, bending, twisting, expansion, and shrinkage, while property changes span aspects like color, stiffness, and swelling ratio. Such remarkable adaptability is achieved through the use of stimuli-responsive materials, often referred to as ‘smart materials.’

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The 4D Bioprinting Breakthrough

The research team pioneered smart breast implants by utilizing a 4D bioprinter, incorporating doxorubicin into the implants. This innovative addition endows the implants with the ability to dynamically change size, ensuring a precise fit within the intricacies of the breast cavity. The small size of these novel breast implants carries additional advantages, making them more cost-effective and easier to produce. Hospitals can prepare these smart breast implants on-site, facilitating direct and personalized treatment while reducing expenses and enhancing patient options.

Professor Dimitrios Lamprou, the project’s lead researcher, emphasised the innovation’s collaborative nature, stating, “This innovative idea started after discussions with doctors and patients, explaining to us the challenges in operation, management, and everyday life. By making, for the first time, these 4D printed implants, the breast cavity after surgery can be covered with an implant that mimics the elasticity of the breast and provides better management of breast cancer by releasing a chemotherapeutic drug that will ‘keep away’ the return of the tumor.”

Dr. Niamh Buckley further underscored the significance of this breakthrough, particularly in terms of chemotherapy’s role in breast cancer treatment. While chemotherapy remains a crucial element in battling breast cancer, it often brings with it harsh side effects. The technology embedded within these smart breast implants, allowing for precise drug delivery to the affected area, holds the promise of making treatment more effective and less debilitating.

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