Researchers say they have managed to keep breast cancer tissue viable for at least a week outside of the human body, paving the way for enhanced cancer treatments.
A new study, funded by the Prevent Breast Cancer charity, found breast tissue could be preserved in a special gel solution, enabling scientists to examine it in great detail.
Experts found the preserved breast tissue maintained its structure, cell types and ability to respond to a series of drugs in the same way as normal breast tissue.
The study, published in the Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, could boost the development of new drugs to treat and prevent breast cancer, without the need for testing on animals.
It’s a hugely exciting development in animal-free research which puts us in a really strong place to find new drugs to prevent breast cancer, said Lester Barr, consultant breast surgeon and founder of Prevent Breast Cancer.
This breakthrough means that researchers will be able to test new drugs in the lab with far greater accuracy, which should mean fewer drugs failing at clinical trials and ultimately better results for women affected by this terrible disease.
Researcher Hannah Harrison, from the University of Manchester, added, By testing different hydrogel formulas we were able to find a solution that preserves human breast tissue for at least a week and often even longer. This is a real game-changer for breast cancer research in many ways.
Scientists used the gel solution VitroGel to preserve the tissue, opening new avenues for more effective drug testing in breast cancer research.
