Quite an idea – a breast implant that would help reduce the probability of a recurrence of breast cancer. ScienceDaily brings word that scientists at Brown University are at work using nanoscale materials to create an implant with a "rough" surface that so far appears to impede cells from generating VEGF – which is vascular endothelial growth factor. In short, it’s a protein that promotes blood vessel growth, and most tumors need many blood vessels. So far, a 23 nanometer "bump" shows encouraging signs of deterring cancer cells from attaching and growing. This is early stage work, but quite an idea to turn a medical repair into a process that may also help a person avoid a recurrence of breast cancer.
(The image is courtesy of Brown’s press release.)
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