Researchers use ‘smart’ bomb therapy to destroy breast cancer

Researchers in the US are collaborating to create a new light-activated “smart” bomb to treat aggressive breast cancer.

The team have combined their expertise to help develop new light-sensitive chemicals called cyanine-carborane salts that are used in photodynamic therapy, or PDT, to destroy metastatic breast cancer tumours in mice with minimal side effects.

Sophia Lunt is a Michigan State University (MSU) professor in biochemistry and molecular biology in the College of Natural Science.

She said: “Our innovative cyanine-carborane salts offer a targeted option with reduced side effects for patients with aggressive breast cancer.

“We expect this research will lead to safer and more effective therapies for patients with limited treatment options.”

During PDT, light-sensitive chemicals are circulated throughout the body where they collect inside cancer cells. N

ear-infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, can penetrate deeper into the body and activate these salts which act like a “smart” bomb, killing cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.

Hyllana Medeiros is a postdoctoral researcher at MSU who helped perform the mouse studies.

The researcher said: “Current FDA-approved PDT chemicals remain in other parts of the body, such as the skin, for extended periods of time.

“After traditional PDT treatment, the patient has to stay in the dark for two-three months because even low levels of light will cause their skin to become blistered and burned.”

These new cyanine-carborane salts offer an advantage over the chemicals traditionally used in PDT because they are absorbed by cancer cells and provide more effective treatment.

Amir Roshanzadeh is  a graduate student at MSU and first author on the paper.

Roshanzadeh said: “Our work offers an effective treatment for aggressive breast cancers.

“It also opens the door to breakthroughs for treating additional cancers and targeted drug delivery.”

Next, the researchers want to test the effectiveness of these salts in treating other types of cancers.

Richard Lunt is an MSU professor and Johansen-Crosby Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering,

He said: “Truly novel discoveries that enable solutions to problems as complex as cancer require multidisciplinary teams like ours.

“This research is a perfect demonstration of what can be achieved when you combine several different researchers with vastly different backgrounds spanning cancer biology, chemistry and materials science engineering; good things happen.”