Dr. Judit E. Puskas, seen here with a breast prosthetic made from silicone, is exploring how nanotechnology may be used to develop a safer alternative.
A new review published in WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology by Judit Puskas, Austin Chemical Chair and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UA, and Matthew T. Luebbers, UA postdoctoral research scholar, explores how nanotechnology may be used to develop safer breast implants as an alternative to silicone rubber, minimizing health complications.
More on Puskas' research
In "Breast Implants: the good, the bad and the ugly — can nanotechnology improve implants?" the researchers report the only material option available to women undergoing breast reconstruction and augmentation (75 percent of postmastectomy patients elect reconstruction) is based on silicone rubber.
While no medical device is 100 percent safe and effective, the researchers point out that silicone breast implants have a 20 percent to 30 percent complication rate, which is higher than all other medical devices. Complications include increased incidence of systemic diseases, various forms of cancer and psychological disease.
Safer alternatives
Lead review author Puskas and Luebbers surveyed the literature on breast implants from the perspective of material science to determine how nanotechnology may enable the future development of safer breast implants.
By reducing the size of the components in nanostructured materials, unprecedented properties can be achieved. The authors are currently developing an alternative nanostructured material to silicone rubber that will minimize complications.
The new material also will be able to deliver cancer drugs locally to improve the efficacy of treatment and minimize side effects associated with chemotherapy.
"If successful, our material could be used for implants with drug delivery capabilities," Puskas notes. "We are hoping that this review will contribute to a better understanding of the controversial issues and motivate material scientists and medical doctors to work together to develop alternatives based on new nanotechnology for the women who opt for a device made of synthetic materials."
Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.