In a significant breakthrough for breast cancer treatment, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) and the Bose Institute, Kolkata, have developed an advanced injectable hydrogel that enables localised and controlled drug delivery. This innovation not only enhances the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs but also reduces harmful side effects, marking a transformative step in oncological care.
According to a statement released by IIT-G, the hydrogel acts as a stable reservoir for chemotherapy drugs, releasing them in a controlled manner specifically at the tumour site. This ensures that healthy tissues remain unharmed, a crucial advantage over conventional treatments like chemotherapy, which have widespread adverse effects. The findings have been published in the prestigious journal Materials Horizons, under the Royal Society of Chemistry. The study is co-authored by Prof Debapratim Das and his research scholars Tanushree Das and Ritvika Kushwaha from IIT-G’s Department of Chemistry, along with Kuldip Jana, Satyajit Halder, and Anup Kumar Misra from Bose Institute, Kolkata.
ADDRESSING CRITICAL GAPS
Existing cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery have well-known limitations. Surgical removal of tumours is often impractical for internal organs or advanced cases, while chemotherapy’s systemic nature affects both cancerous and healthy cells, leading to significant side effects. Prof Das and his team aimed to bridge this gap by designing a hydrogel capable of delivering drugs precisely where they are needed—the tumour site.
“Current treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgical interventions, often have severe limitations. Surgical removal of tumours is sometimes not feasible, particularly for internal organs. At the same time, chemotherapy’s systemic delivery often results in harmful side effects by affecting both cancerous and healthy cells,” the researchers noted in their statement.
Their solution is a novel hydrogel that not only ensures localised action but also optimizes the drug’s therapeutic potential while minimising side effects.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND HYDROGEL
Hydrogels are water-based, three-dimensional polymer networks known for their ability to absorb and retain fluids. This unique property, coupled with their structural resemblance to living tissues, makes them ideal for biomedical applications. The hydrogel developed by the research team is composed of ultra-short peptides, which are biocompatible and biodegradable building blocks of proteins. One of the hydrogel’s most remarkable features is its ability to remain insoluble in biological fluids, ensuring it stays localised at the injection site. It is designed to respond specifically to elevated levels of glutathione (GSH), a molecule abundant in tumour cells. When exposed to high GSH levels, the hydrogel triggers a controlled release of the encapsulated drug directly into the tumour, thereby minimising its interaction with healthy tissues and significantly reducing systemic toxicity.
“This work exemplifies how scientific innovation can directly address the pressing needs of cancer treatment. The hydrogel’s unique properties allow it to work harmoniously with the biological environment, offering precision where it is needed most,” Prof Das explained.
REMARKABLE PRECLINICAL RESULTS
The hydrogel has shown outstanding efficacy in preclinical trials conducted on a murine model of breast cancer. A single injection of the hydrogel, loaded with the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, led to a nearly 75% reduction in tumour size within just 18 days. More importantly, the hydrogel remained localised at the tumour site, releasing the drug steadily over time without causing any detectable side effects in other organs.
The researchers emphasised that this innovative delivery system enhances the drug’s effectiveness while reducing the required dosage, thereby minimising toxicity. Laboratory studies demonstrated that hydrogel improves drug uptake by cancer cells, induces cell cycle arrest, and promotes programmed cell death, attacking tumours on multiple fronts.
A PARADIGM SHIFT
This groundbreaking research has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of breast cancer and, by extension, other types of localized tumours. The localised drug delivery system ensures that the therapeutic effect is maximised.
