A 3-D printed sponge could help clean the blood of cancer patients by removing excess chemotherapy, according to a study published Wednesday.
Researchers from the University of California have developed a minuscule, porous and absorbent device that can be placed in the arteries of chemotherapy patients.
As the chemotherapy circulates throughout the body and targets a cancerous tumor, any leftover drug is filtered through the device — which has captured about 64 percent of the drug in animal trials with no side effects and allowed blood to flow unhindered.
The researchers, who hope this is a step toward minimizing the toxic side effects of chemotherapy, say more trials are needed before it can be tested in humans.
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