A great strength of 3D-printing in the field of medicine is the ability to provide low-cost, personalized implants molded to a patient’s anatomy. Researchers from Louisiana Tech University have now taken the technology one step further, loading these custom implants with cancer-fighting and antiobiotic compounds as a means of better targeted drug delivery.
The team’s research centered on current drug delivery devices known as antibiotic beads. These implants are typically formed using bone cements and hand-made by a surgeon during a procedure. One problem they pose results from an inability to break down in the body, requiring follow-up surgery for removal once their job is done.
via Gizmag
