Marcus Caine

Marcus is an Innovation Scientist at BTG. Initially focusing on analytical method development and validation, he is currently completing a part-time PhD with the University of Southampton in Applied Biomimetic Microfluidics and focusing on the application of this project to advancing treatment in the field of interventional oncology and pulmonology.

The primary purpose of Trans-Arterial Chemoembolization (TACE) is to restrict blood supply to hyper vascularised tumours whilst delivering a chemotherapeutic drug in a localised, consistent and efficacious regimen. Clinical opinion is divided regarding the primary mode of action: physical embolic or controlled drug release. Both the use of ethiodized oil emulsions mixed with doxorubicin (conventional cTACE) and ionically loaded Drug-Eluting Beads (DEB-TACE) provide proven clinical efficacy. Recent developments in emulsion stabilisation have posed the question of whether the safety of reduced systemic drug exposure provided by DEB could be combined with oil emulsions to provide a therapeutic benefit in patients.