BEIJING -- Chinese scientists have developed an implantable nanogenerator that can be used to establish a precise drug delivery system for cancer therapy.Chemotherapeutics is still the most basic and frequently used approach for cancer treatment. However, chemotherapy drugs also have an adverse influence on normal cells, resulting in severe side effects. Designing a drug delivery system featuring a controlled release of the drug for cancer therapy has become a hot research area.Anti-tumor drugs can be loaded into biological drug carriers such as red blood cells. The red blood cells carrying the drugs will accumulate at the tumor sites and slowly release the drugs.Electricity has been demonstrated to increase the response of the red blood cells which can be employed to control the drug release. However, it's challenging to deliver electricity to the tumors deep inside the body, because traditional electricity power suppliers have huge volumes.Scientists from the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) as well as the Institute of Process Engineering under the CAS have developed a triboelectric nanogenerator that can act as an electricity supplier for the drug delivery system.It is 2.5 centimeters long, 2.5 centimeters wide and 0.5 centimeters high. It can be implanted underneath the skin and can generate enough electricity to control the release of the drug.Tests on mice with tumors showed that the nanogenerator-controlled drug delivery system helps release drugs at the tumor sites and reduces the amount of drugs reaching the normal cells. It has significantly prolonged the survival life of mice and had less toxic side effects.According to Feng Hongqing, one of the researchers, the controlled drug release system can be applied as a wearable or implantable medical device to effectively kill tumors with fewer side effects in the future."We are also trying to further reduce the size of the triboelectric nanogenerator to comply with the implantation requirements," Feng said.The research was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. custom made silicone bracelets no minimumsilicone wristbands winnipegsilicone wristbands free shippingsmall silicone wristbandsneon wristbands for events
China's Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang receives an interview after the second plenary meeting of the second session of the 13th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] China will continue reforms to streamline administration and improve services for science workers, allowing them to focus on their research and create new innovations to benefit society, China's top science official said on Friday. At its core, technological innovation is all about talents, Wang Zhigang, minister of science and technology, told reporters in the minister's passage at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As a result, China issued new rules and regulations last year to motivate science workers and unleash their full innovative potential, he added. However, there are still many cumbersome administrative issues that are weighing on researchers' minds, including budgets, red tape and application forms, Wang said. Therefore, through new reforms and legislation, we hope to eliminate these issues, allowing scientists to focus their time and energy on research, he added. The ministry also is constantly in touch with researchers, entrepreneurs and experts, learning about their latest needs and formulating new reforms that can meet those demands, Wang said. We have to find ways to better serve our scientists, and let them feel their work is appreciated, he said, adding it also is important to motivate universities, research institutes and companies to work together in pushing scientific frontiers and tackling socioeconomic issues via innovations. While loosening bureaucratic restraints, China also will tighten its standards on research ethics and academic integrity, Wang said.
