Dual-action nanotherapy shows promise against cancer
Image credit: OSU/Parinaz Ghanbari
Scientists at Oregon State University (OSU) have developed a new nanomaterial that selectively destroys cancer cells by triggering a dual chemical attack inside tumors while sparing healthy tissue.
The study, published in Advanced Functional Materials, describes a novel approach to chemodynamic therapy, an emerging cancer treatment that takes advantage of the unique chemical conditions found in malignant tumors. Cancer cells tend to exist in a more acidic environment and contain higher levels of hydrogen peroxide than normal cells, creating an opportunity for targeted chemical reactions.
The OSU research team, led by Oleh and Olena Taratula and Chao Wang from the College of Pharmacy, designed an iron-based metal-organic framework nanoagent capable of producing two different types of reactive oxygen species inside cancer cells. These highly reactive molecules damage vital cellular components such as proteins, lipids, and DNA, leading to cell death through oxidative stress.
Previous chemodynamic therapies were limited because they typically produced only one type of reactive oxygen species and often lacked the catalytic strength needed for sustained tumor destruction. As a result, earlier studies frequently achieved only partial tumor reduction.
In laboratory tests, the new nanoagent proved highly toxic to multiple cancer cell lines while causing minimal harm to noncancerous cells. In mouse models implanted with human breast cancer cells, the treatment accumulated in tumors, eliminated the cancer completely, and prevented recurrence without detectable side effects.
The researchers plan to test the therapy across additional cancer types, including aggressive pancreatic cancer, before advancing toward human trials.
Source: OSU
Category: Education
