Cancerous tumor cells.
Matthew Gdovin, an associate professor in the UTSA Department of Biology, has developed a newly patented method to kill cancer cells. His discovery, described in research published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, may tremendously help people with inoperable or hard-to-reach tumors, as well as young children stricken with cancer.
Gdovin’s top-tier research involves injecting a chemical compound, nitrobenzaldehyde, into the tumor and allowing it to diffuse into the tissue. He then aims a beam of light at the tissue, causing the cells to become very acidic inside and, essentially, commit suicide. Within two hours, Gdovin estimates up to 95 percent of the targeted cancer cells are dead.
“Even though there are many different types of cancers, the one thing they have in common is their susceptibility to this induced cell suicide,” he said.
Gdovin tested his method against triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive types of cancer and one of the hardest to treat. The prognosis for triple negative breast cancer is usually very poor. After one treatment in the laboratory, he was able to stop the tumor from growing and double chances of survival in mice.
“All forms of cancer attempt to make cells acidic on the outside as a way to attract the attention of a blood vessel, which attempts to get rid of the acid,” he said. “Instead, the cancer latches onto the blood vessel and uses it to make the tumor larger and larger.”
Chemotherapy treatments target all cells in the body, and certain chemotherapeutics try to keep cancer cells acidic as a way to kill the cancer. This is what causes many cancer patients to lose their hair and become sickly. Gdovin’s method, however, is more precise and can target just the tumor.
In the past two years, he’s developed his photodynamic cancer therapy to the point where it’s non-invasive. It now requires just an injection of the nitrobenzaldehyde fluid followed by a flash of an ultraviolet light to cause the cancer-killing reaction. Gdovin has now begun to test the method on drug-resistant cancer cells to make his therapy as strong as possible. He’s also started to develop a nanoparticle that can be injected into the body to target metastasized cancer cells. The nanoparticle is activated with a wavelength of light that it can pass harmlessly through skin, flesh and bone and still activate the the cancer-killing nanoparticle.
Gdovin hopes that his non-invasive method will help cancer patients with tumors in areas that have proven problematic for surgeons, such as the brain stem, aorta or spine. It could also help people who have received the maximum amount of radiation treatment and can no longer cope with the scarring and pain that goes along with it, or children who are at risk of developing mutations from radiation as they grow older.
“There are so many types of cancer for which the prognosis is very poor,” he said. “We’re thinking outside the box and finding a way to do what for many people is simply impossible.”
Learn more: UTSA researcher develops new, non-invasive method to wipe out cancerous tumors
The Latest on: Photodynamic cancer therapy
via Google News
The Latest on: Photodynamic cancer therapy
- Kintara Therapeutics appoints Dr Mario Lacouture to its scientific advisory board for cutaneous metastatic breast canceron March 3, 2021 at 5:20 am
(FRA:3DM) has hired cancer expert Dr Mario Lacouture to its Cutaneous Metastatic Breast Cancer (CMBC)-focused scientific advisory board. Dr ...
- Kintara Therapeutics Appoints Dr. Mario Lacouture to Scientific Advisory Board for Cutaneous Metastatic Breast Canceron March 3, 2021 at 5:18 am
Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTRA) ("Kintara" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new solid tumor cancer therapies, today announced the appointment of ...
- Kintara Therapeutics to Present at the H.C. Wainwright Global Life Sciences Conferenceon March 2, 2021 at 5:14 am
Kintara Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTRA) ("Kintara" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new solid tumor cancer therapies, announces that its President and CEO ...
- Neoadjuvant vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy improves survival and reduces recurrence and progression in a mouse model of urothelial canceron March 1, 2021 at 8:34 am
Locally advanced urothelial cancer has high recurrence and progression rates following surgical treatment. ... vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy ... a murine model of urothelial cancer.
- Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancerson February 26, 2021 at 4:01 pm
Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) which employs 5-aminolevulinic ... [4] Their observations suggest that direct damage to cancer cells is the main effector mechanism leading to the PDT response.
- Actinic Keratosis Treatment Set to Move Towards Combination Therapy, North America to Capture Major Share, Says FMIon February 25, 2021 at 8:56 pm
The global actinic keratosis treatment market is projected to reach US$ 8.5 Bn by the end of 2029, growing at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period 2019-2029, states the new Future Market Insights ...
- PhotoCure ASAon February 24, 2021 at 4:00 pm
PhotoCure ASA develops and produces pharmaceutical photodynamic therapy products and devices. The Company utilizes light-activated drugs in the treatment of cancer and other medical conditions.
- Soligenix is Ready for Commercialization of SGX301 (HyBryte(TM)); FDA Has Approval Process on Fast Trackon February 23, 2021 at 5:45 am
The most recent treatment option in their rare disease pipeline, SGX301, will potentially be known as HyBryte (TM) following an FDA approval. Soligenix already has the key management and marketing ...
- Photodynamic Therapy Market is expected to reach USD 1679.39 Million by 2025 with CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast periodon February 15, 2021 at 2:59 am
Photodynamic therapy is cheaper, minimally painful and offers various advantages for cancer patients as it helps them to avoid chemotherapy or surgery. Photodynamic therapy plays a important role as ...
- Compound isolated from Ophiura sarsii can be used as an affordable drug for photodynamic therapyon February 7, 2021 at 4:00 pm
The substance might be used as an affordable light-sensitive drug for innovative photodynamic therapy and for targeted treatment of triple-negative breast cancer and some other cancers.
via Bing News