Scientists for IBM and Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have jointly developed a technique to administer drugs to a breast cancer patient.

The team invented a new synthetic non-toxic hydrogel that is 96-percent water and has a degradable polymer that works to isolate loads from small to large molecules, IBM said Friday.

“This hydrogel can help deliver drugs over an extended period of time without causing a significant immune response, effectively sending its contents directly to the tumor without harming healthy surrounding cells,” said James Hedrick, organic materials scientist at IBM Research – Almaden.

According to IBM, the biocompatible hydrogel stays intact within the human body and serves as drug depot in order to release medicinal contents into the tumor location before it biodegrades off the body.

Scientists also found enhanced test results when drugs were delivered with the hydrogel into animal bodies, the company says.

The hydrogel is designed to reduce tumor size in less frequent sessions than traditional treatments, IBM says.