A new injectable “biogel” is effective in delivering anti-cancer agents directly into cancerous tumours and killing them. This technology, developed by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), has already been successfully tested in the laboratory. If it works in patients, the therapy could one day revolutionize treatment for many forms of cancer.
Unlike “jello,” the biogel is liquid at room temperature and gels at 37 degrees Celsius – human body temperature. “The strength of this biogel is that it is compatible with anti-cancer immune cells. It is used to encapsulate these cells and eventually administer them using a syringe or catheter into the tumour or directly beside it. Instead of injecting these cells or anti-cancer drugs throughout the entire body via the bloodstream, we can treat the cancer locally. We hope that this targeted approach will improve current immunotherapies,” said Réjean Lapointe, co-author of a study on the technology that was recently published in Biomaterials.
One form of immunotherapy involves treating cancer patients with anti-cancer immune cells. This is called adoptive cell therapy. These cells (T lymphocytes or T cells) are produced naturally by the body and have the ability to destroy cancer cells, but they are generally too weak and too few to eradicate the cancer alone. T cells are therefore cultivated in the laboratory – often the patient’s own cells – and then reinjected into the patient’s blood. While this form of immunotherapy has shown promising results in cases of advanced cancer, it is not always possible to generate enough T cells. Moreover, high doses of interleukin-2, a hormone added to maximize the therapy have a toxic effect. “With our technique, we only need to administer a few dozen million T cells, instead of the billions currently required. We can also administer compounds that ‘awaken’ the immune system to fight against cancer,” explained Lapointe, who is a researcher at the CRCHUM and professor at the University of Montreal.
The recipe for this promising biogel was developed by Sophie Lerouge, a researcher at the CRCHUM and professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the École de technologie supérieure. “The compound is made from chitosane, a biodegradable material extracted from the shells of crustaceans, to which gelling agents are added. “The formulation is liquid at room temperature, which facilitates its injection, but quickly takes on a cohesive and resistant structure at 37 degrees. We also needed a hydrogel that was non-toxic for the body and provided excellent survival and growth of the encapsulated cells,” said the engineer. A real challenge for Lerouge’s team, who tested several formulations before arriving at this “intelligent” biogel.
The biogel was successfully tested in several in vitro models, including melanoma and kidney cancer. “The T lymphocytes in the gel are functional and can grow for two to three weeks, be released from the gel, and kill the cancerous cells,” explained Lapointe. The next step is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the biogel in animals and humans. If the trials are successful, this new approach could be added to current cancer therapies in a few years.
Read more: Intelligent gel attacks cancer
The Latest on: Intelligent biogel
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Intelligent biogel” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Intelligent biogel
- Patrick Mahomes calls Travis Kelce ‘super intelligent’ after Taylor Swift’s Aristotle lyric on ‘TTPD’on May 3, 2024 at 9:01 am
“He puts on this persona, I’m partying, drinking, whatever, but he’s really super intelligent,” Mahomes, 28, said of his Kansas City Chiefs teammate on Thursday’s episode of Logan Paul ...
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Review: Robo-Advisor for Large Balanceson May 3, 2024 at 6:31 am
For those who don't want to play an active role in their investments and also don't want to hire a financial advisor, Schwab offers the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios automated investing ...
- China's Huawei launches new software brand for intelligent drivingon April 23, 2024 at 5:00 pm
BEIJING, April 24 (Reuters) - Chinese tech company Huawei (HWT.UL) unveiled on Wednesday a new software brand for intelligent driving, marking its latest push to become a major player in the ...
- Green intelligent fertilizers promote green and sustainable development of fertilizer industry and agricultureon April 22, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Fusuo Zhang from China Agricultural University and his team, based on the requirements of green and sustainable development, have innovatively proposed the concept of green intelligent fertilizer ...
- 2 Emotionally Intelligent Tools That Disarm a Narcissiston April 21, 2024 at 12:59 pm
You have successfully kept your power and “flipped the script.” Unlike an emotionally intelligent person, a narcissist is extremely and robustly defensive. When they do not obtain emotional ...
- 19 Common Behaviors of Highly Intelligent Peopleon April 13, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Intelligent individuals often display a range of behaviors and qualities that set them apart from others. When exploring these characteristics, it’s crucial to comprehend that intelligence is a ...
- 18 Unexpected Traits That Highly Intelligent People Shareon April 12, 2024 at 5:00 pm
It’s theorized that intelligent people commonly prefer nighttime, partly because its quietness allows them to engage in deep and creative thinking. Photo Credit: TunedIn by Westend61 ...
- 6 things emotionally intelligent people never doon April 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
However, it is just as important to know what not to do, and what situations to stay away from, in order to be emotionally intelligent. So here are 6 things that emotionally intelligent people ...
- 7 Best Intelligent Systems Games, Rankedon March 20, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Intelligent Systems has been developing games for over 20 years, and in that time, they've come out with some absolute classics. Intelligent Systems excels at creating unique RPG titles with core ...
- 18 Smartest Dog Breeds, Ranked for Intelligenceon March 18, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Your pup is one smart cookie, but is it among the most intelligent dog breeds? Find out with our science-backed ranking. Dogs have been humankind’s faithful companions since as far back as the ...
via Bing News