Gallium-based bone cancer therapy paste secures £110k support
27 Jan 2025
Grant money of £110,000 has been awarded to help develop an injectable paste that could have the potential to combat bone cancer.
Orthopaedic Research UK awarded the funds to the Dubrowsky Lab, based at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, which is investigating the application of gallium-doped bioglass as a treatment for primary and metastatic variants of the disease.
When the metal is combined with bioactive glass Gallium is capable of killing cancer cells left after tumours are removed, removing bacterial contamination and accelerating bone regeneration.
Dubrowsky Lab research lab manager and project lead researcher Dr Lucas Souza said advances in bone cancer treatment had plateaued for more than four decades.
“Innovative and effective therapeutic approaches are needed and this grant from Orthopaedic Research UK provides vital funds for us to continue our research into the use of gallium-doped bioglass in the treatment of bone cancer,” he commented.
“The proposed biomaterial has the potential to drastically improve treatment outcomes of bone tumour patients by reducing cancer re-occurrence, implant-site infection rates, and implant failure rates leading to reduced time in hospital beds, less use of antibiotics, and fewer revision surgeries.
"Taken together, these benefits could improve survival rates, functionality and quality of life of bone cancer patients.”
