IIT researchers develop cutting-edge injectable hydrogel for the treatment of breast cancer.
Tl;dr
- An innovative injectable hydrogel for the localized treatment of cancer has been developed.
- This treatment significantly reduces the side effects of conventional therapies.
- The hydrogel shows remarkable effectiveness in preclinical trials.
A breakthrough in localized cancer treatment
A major breakthrough in the field of cancer therapy has been made by a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati and the Bose Institute, Kolkata. They developed a hydrogel injectablean innovative substance intended for the localized treatment of cancer.
An alternative to conventional treatments
This hydrogel offers a way to directly deliver anti-cancer drugs to the tumor site, which significantly reduces side effects generally associated with conventional cancer treatments. Indeed, current approaches such as chemotherapy and surgery often present serious limitations, particularly due to the harmful effects on healthy cells.
Hydrogel is a three-dimensional, water-based structure capable of absorbing and retaining liquids. Composed of ultra-short peptides, it is designed to remain insoluble in biological fluids, thus ensuring its localization at the injection site. “This work illustrates how scientific innovation can directly address the pressing needs of cancer treatment”said Prof. Debapratim Das from IIT Guwahati.
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Remarkable effectiveness in preclinical
The results of preclinical trials on a mouse model of breast cancer are very promising. A single injection of the hydrogel, loaded with the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, resulted in approximately 75% reduction in tumor size in 18 days. Additionally, the hydrogel remained localized at the tumor site, gradually releasing the drug without causing detectable side effects on other organs.
Additional studies are underway to determine the maximum extent of reduction in tumor size by a single dose. This discovery marks a significant advance in localized cancer treatment and could change the way we think about drug delivery in the future.
