Applying shear stress for disease treatment

A system for applying shear stress ex-situ to a fluid, the system comprising:

• a shear device comprising a single inlet whereby the fluid to be processed can be introduced, a toothed rotor and a toothed stator configured to apply shear stress to said fluid, thus providing a processed fluid;
• and
• at least one device configured for intravenous administration of said processed fluid to a patient,
• said devices defining a fluid passage configured to be sterilized and maintained sterile during use,
• said fluid comprising at least one therapeutic fluid, blood, or a combination thereof and wherein the shear stress applied to said fluid causes at least one of the following effects:
• a) dispersing a therapeutic agent contained in said fluid to
• i) nano-size or
• ii) sub-nano-size;
• b) activating a therapeutic agent contained in said fluid;
• c) creating free radicals of a therapeutic agent contained in said fluid;
• d) destroying mainly cancer cells acutely or chronically without significantly affecting the health or function of normal cells, and wherein said fluid comprises the patient's blood containing both cancer cells and normal cells;
• e) causing intracellular uptake of a therapeutic agent by cancer cells, resulting in acute or chronic cancer cell death, and wherein said fluid comprises the therapeutic agent and the patient's blood containing both cancer cells and normal cells;
• f) causing intracellular uptake of a therapeutic agent by normal cells without significantly affecting their health or function, and wherein said fluid comprises the therapeutic agent and the patient's blood containing both cancer cells and normal cells.