The gold standard for treating inoperable oesophageal cancer patients is a surgically implanted metal mesh stent, which causes a number of complications such as bleeding, chest pain, perforation, and tumour ingrowth. However, a bioengineer at Florida Atlantic University in the US is developing a novel biodegradable polymer stent that will be designed to prevent complications while at the same time serving as a drug delivery system for oesophageal cancer therapy. Stents used by surgeons today are composed of metallic wires and are unable to carry and deliver anti-cancer drugs to treat oesophageal tumours and prevent tumour tissue ingrowth. 

Dr Yunqing (Kevin) Kang, principal investigator and assistant professor of biomaterials and regenerative medicine in FAU’s Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, and his team will use a special 3D printing technique to develop the tissue-engineered stent using biodegradable elastomeric polymer materials that will make it sufficiently rigid yet flexible enough to expand and contract with the oesophagus. This new stent, which will mechanically open the oesophagus, also will release the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel to locally treat oesophageal cancer. “Because our materials will be made from biodegradable polymer, they will dissolve and disappear after the stent is surgically placed into the patient’s oesophagus,” said Dr Kang. “Once treatment is completed, it won’t be necessary for the surgeon to remove the stent, making the process and treatment much more comfortable for the patient.”