A new study by researchers at Fudan University (Shanghai,China;www.fudan.edu.cn) has found that implanting an oxygen-con-suming battery while simultaneously administering an experimental class of cancer drugs in mice with cancer caused the tumors to shrink or disappear within two weeks.

The implantable self-charging battery is powered by salt water injected into its surrounding area.

The battery generates very low voltage electricity and consumes oxygen, creating a hypoxic environment that can enhance the efficacy of hypoxia-activated prodrugs(HAPs).

Further research is required to ensure the compatibility of the battery with human tissue before testing it in humans.