Implantable "drug factory" beads destroy tumors in mice within days

Earlier this year, scientists at Rice University demonstrated a highly promising approach to tackling ovarian and colorectal cancer that centered on "drug factory" beads that could be implanted alongside tumors to destroy them in less than a week. By combining this technology with other immunotherapy drugs, the scientists have now explored the potential for this technique to tackle another form of cancer, and achieved very similar results.

The drug factory beads developed by the Rice University team are around the size of a pinhead and are loaded up with tens of thousands of cells genetically engineered to produce interleukin-2 (IL-2).