Fischbach and Estroff, US provisional patent , 61/442,485

1. New Platforms for Studying Cancer Metastasis to Bone Artificial bone mimics reveal the importance of crystals in cancer growth Melissa A. Hines, Cornell University, DMR 1120296 Breast cancer frequently spreads (metastasizes) to bone, where it leads to secondary tumor growth, bone degradation, and poor clinical prognosis. Researchers at Cornell have created a new set of bone-mimicking materials to study how and why breast cancer cells grow in bones. These mimics consist of a biodegradable, biocompatible soft material studded with tiny, calcium-containing crystals, which mimics the architectural features of bone. Somewhat surprisingly, the researchers have shown that the size and perfection of the tiny crystals affects the growth of cancer cells. Less-perfect crystals caused more cell growth, perhaps because they absorbed proteins more easily. These new bone mimics will enable laboratory studies of cancer biology and may prove useful as scaffolds for bone regeneration. Fischbach and Estroff, US provisional patent, 61/442,485 Pathi et al.,Biomaterials 32, 5112-5122 (2011). Visit the CCMR online at http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu