The first clinical use of the slow release drug was in 1986, when Langer and neurosurgeon Henry Brem devised the chemotherapy wafers used to treat brain cancer. The ten cent coin-sized (size of dime in the USA) wafer releases the chemotherapeutic cancer drug slowly in the area from which a tumor has been removed, the purpose being to kill any remaining cancer cells on the spot; this way side effects on the other organs are fewer than with traditional drug delivery mechanisms. The same method is now also being used with prostate, spinal and ovarian cancers.

Langer’s polymer research has led to discoveries in many other areas, like biocompatible shape-memory polymers that return to predetermined forms once inside the body.

Possible uses in the future for his research include creation of a biodegradable rubber, developing new high-throughput screenings for gene therapy, constructing synthetic viruses for gene delivery and creating molecular switches to change surfaces from hydrophobic to hydrophilic.

Other potential applications

According to Dr. Langer, bioengineering is only just emerging and will bring many benefits in the future. The next step here is micro-fabrication and nanotechnology. “One of the current research areas in the lab is gene therapy delivery, trying to come up with synthetic polymers that could behave the same way viruses do, but without any negative effects.”

Dr. Langer’s lab is leading the world in the development of a new kind of drug transport: zapping the drug through the skin without harming the skin, just like in Star Trek! In addition to delivering drugs to the body, there is great interest in removing unwanted substances from the body using enzymes or antibodies.