Many advanced cancer patients have tumors growing throughout their abdomen. They need treatment that combines surgery and chemotherapy to kill as many cancer cells as possible while minimizing damage to their body.

The Cima Lab has created a thin biomaterial sheet that releases chemotherapy at a low dose over weeks. The ancient Japanese art of origami—in this case, the famous Miura V-pleat, also used in maps and satellites—is applied to fold the sheet and place it inside the patient’s abdomen through a tiny incision. Once inside, it expands to expose as big an area as possible to the drug.

Learn more about this project in STAT.