Lee, J. et al. Nat. Commun. 10, 5205 (2019)

Intravenous chemotherapies are often unsuccessful in patients with brain tumors because the blood–brain barrier prevents efficient drug delivery. Devices that can be implanted in the brain to deliver drugs after tumor resection are under investigation and have shown promising results. A study now describes a flexible and biodegradable drug-loaded patch integrated with wireless electronics that provides spatial and temporal control of drug delivery to the brain. Using the human xenograft glioblastoma model in nude mice, the investigators showed that tumor recurrence and survival were respectively decreased and increased in mice treated with the doxorubicin-loaded patch after tumor resection compared with control groups. In vivo therapeutic efficacy was also confirmed in a glioblastoma canine model, supporting the potential application of this device in patients.