Engineering and physical sciences in oncology: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The principles of engineering and physics have been applied to oncology for nearly 50 years. Engineers and physical scientists have made contributions to all aspects of cancer biology, from quantitative understanding of tumour growth and progression to improved detection and treatment of cancer. Many early efforts focused on experimental and computational modelling of drug distribution, cell cycle kinetics and tumour growth dynamics. In the past decade, we have witnessed exponential growth at the interface of engineering, physics and oncology that has been fuelled by advances in fields including materials science, microfabrication, nanomedicine, microfluidics, imaging, and catalysed by new programmes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Physical Sciences in Oncology, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology. Here, we review the advances made at the interface of engineering and physical sciences and oncology in four important areas: the physical microenvironment of the tumour and technological advances in drug delivery; cellular and molecular imaging; and microfluidics and microfabrication. We discussthe research advances, opportunities and challenges for integrating engineering and physical sciences with oncology to develop new methods to study, detect and treat cancer, and we also describe the future outlook for these emerging areas.

Assessing Tumor Mechanics by MR Elastography at Different Strain Levels

“…This kind of simulation could be interesting to provide a better understanding about how the mechanical confinement by the host organ could drive tumor growth and metastasis . Many parameters play an important role in the mechanical properties of in vivo tumors, including perfusion, permeability, fibrosis, interstitial fluid pressure, and solid stress . Those parameters have an important role for cancer diagnosis.…”

“…1,5 Many parameters play an important role in the mechanical properties of in vivo tumors, including perfusion, permeability, fibrosis, interstitial fluid pressure, and solid stress. 4 Those parameters have an important role for cancer diagnosis. Future works will take into consideration those parameters, to understand how tumor pressure can influence the variations of tumor mechanical properties, or the variations of tumor perfusion under external compression.…”

“…THE BIOMECHANICAL PROPERTIES of tumors have been linked to several hallmarks of cancer, like growth, metabolism, or metastasis and changes of the mechanical properties of tumor stroma is an important biomarker of tumor severity . Malignant tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma and increased tissue rigidity are associated, since tumor growth leads to an increase in local stiffness that can in turn promote the malignant transformation of normal cells .…”

One-Minute Synthesis of Size-Controlled Fucoidan-Gold Nanosystems: Antitumoral Activity and Dark Field Imaging

“…Despite the high cure rates observed when cancer is detected early and if appropriated treatment is provided, most of the presently employed therapies, particularly conventional chemotherapy, are associated with severe side effects, including hair loss, nausea and vomiting, pain, anemia, fertility issues, edema, among many others [2], that strongly affect the patient's quality of life. In recent decades, the design of more effective alternatives that allows a targeting action, with almost no impact on healthy tissues or organs, has received considerable attention [3]. Of these, nanosystems that combine a therapeutic effect and imaging properties, or that promote intertwined diagnosis and therapy, the so-called nanotheranostics, has opened new avenues for cancer-conquering [4][5][6].…”

Recent Advances in Magnetic‐Nanomaterial‐Based Mechanotransduction for Cell Fate Regulation

“…Mechanotransduction relies on mechanosensors/mechanoreceptors to convert mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals, which can induce different cell responses including proliferation, differentiation, or death . Current technical approaches for the study of the mechanotransduction process include atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical tweezers, and magnetomechanical‐based techniques .…”