Preclinical development of an innovative electric field therapy device for the treatment of Glioblastoma

胶质母细胞瘤是最常见和侵袭性的原发性成人脑癌。全球发病率为3-5/10万人，并且正在上升，约为3000人英国诊断/年。目前无法治愈，5年生存率约为3.4%。电疗是肿瘤切除后应用的一种新的癌症治疗方式，它直接干扰细胞分裂，减缓肿瘤复发，延长生命。然而，由于患者生活质量差和成本效益低，NICE不推荐在NHS中使用唯一可用的胶质母细胞瘤电疗设备。QV Bioelectronics （QVB）正在开发一种新颖的方法，以局部和连续的方式提供电疗，可能会使胶质母细胞瘤患者的预期寿命增加一倍，导致高达10倍的5年生存率，同时克服与现有电疗治疗相关的生活质量问题。QVB已经开发了一个工作原型，并将进行临床前安全测试，作为Innovate UK资助项目的一部分，同时也致力于他们技术的其他开发方面。QVB的设备仍处于临床前开发阶段，在几年内不会准备好给患者开处方。QVB的技术将在未来扩展到其他类型的脑肿瘤，我们的研究和创新中心将在英国创造大量的就业机会，创造价值超过30亿英镑/年的全球市场机会。这将巩固英国在不断发展的生物电子学领域的全球领导者地位。

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary adult brain cancer. Global incidence is 3-5/100,000 persons and rising, with c.3000 UK diagnoses/year. There is no cure and the 5-year survival rate is ~3.4%.Electrotherapy is a new form of cancer treatment applied after tumour resection that directly interferes with cell division, slowing tumour recurrence and prolonging life. However, the only available electrotherapy device for glioblastoma is not recommended for use on the NHS by NICE due to poor patient quality-of-life and low cost-effectiveness.QV Bioelectronics (QVB) is developing a novel approach to deliver electrotherapy in a focal and continuous manner that will potentially double glioblastoma patient life expectancy, leading to up to 10-times higher 5-year survival rates whilst overcoming quality-of-life issues associated with the existing electrotherapy treatment. QVB has developed a working prototype and will perform pre-clinical safety testing as part of this Innovate UK funded project as well as working on other development aspects of their technology. QVB's device is still undergoing pre-clinical development and will not be ready to be prescribed to patients for several years. QVB's technology will be expanded to other types of brain tumours in future, with our research and innovation hub creating a significant number of jobs in the UK, creating a combined global market opportunity worth over £3Bn/year. This will cement the UK's position as global leaders in the growing field of bioelectronics.