A minimally Invasive surgical platform aGainst paNcreatIc and biliary Tract cancErs using cold atmospheric PLASMA

Introduction

Cancer is one of the major causes of death in Europe. Pancreatic (PC) and biliary tract (BTC) cancer are rare gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas with an increasing incidence, particularly among the elderly and women in an ageing European population. A poor prognosis poses major clinical challenges and a public health burden.

Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAP)

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) has shown potential in regressing various cancer types in the laboratory setting. Owing to its properties, CAP is a unique source of high concentrations of reactive radicals, electrons, ions, UV, etc., that may induce various effects in living tissue.

Selectivity of CAP

CAP has shown selectivity in treating cancer cells with minimal effect on healthy ones. This renders plasma suitable for treating carcinomas in very sensitive areas or organs where there is an unmet need to minimize damage and side effects.

Delivery Mechanism

CAP can be delivered through dielectric tubes of variable length, making it ideal for minimally invasive and precise laparoscopic and endoscopic operations.

Current Market Gap

Despite the great promise and potential of this concept, there is no single laparoscopic or endoscopic medical platform in the market today based on CAP to treat carcinomas.

Proposed Solution

This project proposes a novel solution using cutting-edge plasma technology, in-silico models, and a system-level approach.

1. It will combine plasma with tumor multiscale simulations.
2. It will take input from pre-surgery diagnostics for in-silico model initialization and CAP operational window determination.

Demonstration and Future Steps

The developed technology will be demonstrated through in-vivo experiments. Additionally, the foundations for clinical trials and market introduction for CAP-based care of PC/BTCs will be laid out in this project.