Today, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are mainly used to treat cancer, very effective with some tumors, but practically useless with others. In addition, they have the disadvantage of causing lots of side effects, since they destroy tumor cells, but also healthy ones. For this reason, scientists have spent many years trying to find a treatment against cancer that goes directly to it, without affecting the rest of the cells. Great advances have been made, but with the drawback that they are usually very specific approaches, which go directly to a specific tumor. Now, instead, a team of Japanese scientists has developed a much more generic cancer treatmenteffective against a large number of tumors.
It is important to note that, for now, They have only tested it on mice.. However, it is hoped that it can be extrapolated to humans. If so, it would be a perfect alternative to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, since it attacks cancer from within, like a Trojan horse that leaves the rest of the cells intact.
So far, tests in mice have shown very high efficacy, with a reduced number of side effects. Therefore, this cancer treatment could be that weapon that we have been waiting for so long. We must view it with caution, as always, but also with hope.
A very specific cancer treatment
Generally, when developing a specific cancer treatment, probes are used that bind to molecules that are only found in a tumor. For example, antibodies are often used that specifically target proteins present in tumor cells. But not in any tumor cell. The antibodies they are so specific that they can only target the cells of a particular type of tumor.
Instead, this new cancer treatment is based on the detection of acroleina molecule that accumulates in cells that are suffering high oxidative stresslike cancerous ones.
The same research group that has carried out this study has already relied on this substance as a diagnostic method. They had previously discovered that acrolein reacts with a type of molecule called aryl azidesgiving rise to other compounds, called α-diazocarbonyl derivatives. This is a harmless reaction for cells. But, in addition, it provides scientists with an important tool. And it is that, since acrolein is in the cells, if the azide binds to a fluorescent molecule, when the reaction between the two occurs, this fluorescent molecule also remains anchored to the cells. Thus, it can be used as a diagnostic method, all you have to do is look for fluorescence. in his day they tested it with breast cancer with very good results.
A Trojan horse to attack cancer
In this new research, which has been published in Chemical Science, its authors have repeated that procedure, with a small variation. Instead of a fluorescent molecule, they have attached the aryl azide to the astatin-211. This is a radionuclide. That is, an unstable form of an element that, as it decays, is releasing radiation. Therefore, it remains anchored to the cells, gradually releasing radiation that acts like radiation therapy, but from within the tumor. Healthy cells would remain fully intact.
This cancer treatment is highly advantageous for several reasons. For starters, because you can go to almost any type of tumor. Also because it can act on very early stages of cancer, when you don’t know exactly where it is. And finally, because, in case of metastasisyou can find where the cancer has spread and act accordingly.
How is this cancer treatment given?
In tests with mice, the study authors have tested various forms of administration of this cancer treatment. First, they injected astatin-211 by itself into the human lung tumor previously implanted in rodents. Then they injected it into the tumor, but bound to the aryl azide. And, to finish, they injected into the bloodstream the same binding of astatin-211 and aryl azide.
When the radionuclide alone was injected, the tumor continued to grow and the mice did not survive. In contrast, when azide was used as a probe, the tumor grew almost three times less. Furthermore, when injected into the tumor 100% survived of mice and, in the bloodstream, 80%.
This indicates that, as we have already seen, even if we do not know where the tumor is, very good results can be achieved. Logically, it is better to have it localized, but if you don’t know where it is, either because it is an early stage or because there are metastases, all is not lost.
some limitations
As we always say in these cases, the first limitation of this study is that has been done in mice. It is interesting that the tumor cells were human, but it would be necessary to see if the results are the same when carrying out all the cancer treatment directly in the patients.
On the other hand, acrolein accumulates in cells subjected to great oxidative stress. This is the case with cancer, but also with diseases like Alzheimer’s. Therefore, there could be cases where the probe is not directed properly. In any case, they are small exceptions, which can be worked on if necessary.
What is clear is that this cancer treatment is very promising, unlike anything that has been tried so far. Of course, it seems increasingly possible to have alternatives away from traditional chemotherapy. That is always great news.