Nano materials in cancer therapy

In spite of many advances in cancer treatment, one of the biggest challenges is to ensure that normal cells do not get damaged while destroying malignant tumours.

In the case of most therapies, either oral or intravenous, the drug gets distributed throughout the body. As a result, higher dosages are required, which makes the treatment expensive.

Targeted therapy

To overcome the problems faced in current treatment methods, scientists are trying to take advantage of the increased proliferation activity of cancer cells by adopting targeted therapy through the use of nano materials without causing much harm to a non-cancerous tissue.

In a collaborative venture, researchers from Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) have synthesised iron oxide nanoparticles and attached a drug called photo-sensitiser and a peptide to provide targeted photodynamic therapy.

In this type of therapy, a  photo-sensitiser is used along with a specific wavelength of light to kill cancer cells. On exposure to light, the photo-sensitiser releases free radicals that kill the cancer cells.

In laboratory studies, the scientists created a tumour in mice, injected the drug and shone light on the malignant tissue. They found that peptide-bound nano particles retarded the tumour growth significantly when compared with controls or treatments with nano particles without peptide. 

The paper on the research was published in an international journal earlier this year. Lead author, Dr.N. Madhusudhan Rao termed the results of their studies as quite promising. 

He said they were also looking at finding solutions to treat cancers that would not be accessible to light.

While photodynamic therapy would be useful in treating cancers of the skin, neck, head and mouth, they were trying to seek endoscopic treatment modalities for cancers of organs inside the body.

In view of the regulatory and toxicology issues involved in the use of gold nano particles, Dr. Rao said they started work on dendrimers (organic molecules).

It could be beneficial especially for treatment of eye cancers as also those of mouth and uterus. They would like to collaborate with other research institutes involved in treatment of eye diseases in this regard.