New Liquid Gel Developed to Potentially Treat Metastatic Cancers
Research has led to the development of a new liquid gel that solidifies when injected into solid tumors, providing a potential treatment for metastatic cancers. The innovative gel, visible on CT scans, allows for slow-release cancer-fighting treatments and has shown promising results when combined with immunotherapy in preclinical models, inducing tumor regression and enhancing survival.
The team at Mass General Brigham, in collaboration with the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, developed a gel delivery system to address the challenges of intratumoral therapy. This method involves the direct injection of cancer drugs into tumors and offers potential for treating solid cancers. However, its success in clinical trials has been limited due to challenges in precise drug delivery and the rapid dissipation of most immunotherapies from the injection site.
The newly developed gel aims to overcome these hurdles providing an injectable substance that solidifies upon delivery, contains an imaging agent for visibility on CT scans, and can maintain a high concentration of drugs for controlled release. Avik Som, MD, PhD, highlighted the gel’s innovative approach to intratumoral cancer immunotherapy, addressing the issues of visibility and practicality and training the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Testing the gel involved treating mouse models of colon and breast cancer, known for their resistance to immunotherapy. The results showed improved survival rates in both cancer models, with complete regression observed in responders at both the treated and distant tumor sites. The researchers are optimistic about moving the technology to clinical applications but acknowledge the need for further safety testing before broader drug efficacy evaluations.
The developed approach shows promise for the treatment of challenging-to-address cancers. The findings of the team were published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, and they are looking forward to potential clinical applications for this innovative gel.