Our Biomedical Engineering research is interdisciplinary, using the skills and knowledge of academics from Engineering and Life Sciences. Research and development are being conducted in different areas including diagnostics, cardiovascular mechanics, organ-on-a-chip, prosthetics and diabetes. This has led to the development of smart devices for rapid screening, monitoring, diagnosis and therapy of diseases at the point of care and/or in laboratory settings.
Case Study: Assessing the Combined Effects of Preventable Factors on Breast Cancer
Lifestyle factors and environmental contaminants, including endocrine disruptingchemicals (EDCs), play a role in breast cancer development, but human studieslinking EDCs to cancer are often inconclusive. This is mainly because EDCsare studied individually and in concentrations that don’t match our day to dayexposure. This project, funded by Breast Cancer UK, examines the impact ofmixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals and saturated fats (that may resultfrom a high fat diet) on the early stages of breast cancer, using an exciting newthree-dimensional breast cancer model system known as “Breast-on-chip” (3Dcell culture). This method of culturing different types of breast cells more closely,mimics how breast cells behave in the body and provides a representativealternative to current laboratory and animal-based methods. The project aimsto provide guidance for chemical regulation and a framework for further publicinformation and practical advice on ways to reduce exposure to factors thatcontribute to breast cancer risk.
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