Beating Cancer with Bubbles

In Oxford, a trio of Stand Up to Cancer scientists developed a futuristic way to package and deliver chemotherapy more effectively, using microscopic bubbles.

In their method, each microbubble contains a dose of chemo as well as being coated with cancer-hunting microscopic ‘anchors’ to seek out and stick to tumours. Once the bubbles are in place, a targeted, high-frequency ultrasound beam causes them to vibrate furiously – turning the teensy bubbles into high-powered pumps.

A wave of destructive chemo will be propelled deep into a tumour, ensuring that even hard-to-reach cells can’t escape, but leaving healthy cells untouched. These bubbles successfully delivered chemo in lab studies, and now Professor Eleanor Stride is working on taking the technology further into clinical trials.