Gel Holds Promise for Medical Applications.

• Position: Developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - Brief Article

A polymer-based material with unique gelling properties found useful in medical applications ranging from targeted cancer treatment to tissue engineering has been developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Wash. Called a stimuli-sensitive polymer, the material is designed to change immediately from a liquid into a gel in response to stimulus, such as an increase in temperature. This feature would enable physicians to inject the mixture of the polymer and a medicinal solution directly into a specific target in the body, where it would warm and instantly gel.

"Stimuli-sensitive gels show promise for the effective treatment of inoperable tumors," indicates Anna Gutowska, senior research scientist and lead developer of the gel. "While much more research remains to be done before this becomes an accepted medical procedure, we are very...