Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have developed a groundbreaking wireless LED device that can be implanted to treat hard-to-reach cancers. This device, used with a light-sensitive dye, kills cancer cells and stimulates the immune system to target cancer more effectively. It employs green light, which triggers a robust immune response, and promotes a form of cell death that enhances immune activity.
The device’s potential for remote activation and treatment monitoring marks a significant advancement in treating deep-seated cancers. This research is supported by the university’s STIR grants, aimed at boosting interdisciplinary projects that impact health, environment, and technology. Credit: University of Notre Dame Notre Dame scientists have created an implantable wireless LED device that uses light and a special dye to kill cancer cells and activate the immune system, offering a new approach to treat internal cancers effectively.
Specific forms of light, when paired with a light-activated drug, can serve as an effective and non-invasive treatment for cancers on or near the skin. However, cancers located deep within the body—shielded by tissues, blood, and bone—remain inaccessible to the therapeutic benefits of light. To bring light’s benefits to these harder-to-access cancers, engineers and scientists at the University of Notre Dame have devised a wireless LED device that can be implanted.
This device, when combined with a light-sensitive dye, not only de.