A ground-breaking yet straightforward discovery is poised to revolutionize the field of tumor surgery, where every advancement is important. By fostering an aggressive microenvironment for tumor cells, researchers from the University of Western Australia created a novel treatment that will significantly enhance the results of cancer surgery. Their research, which was published in Cell Reports Medicine, demonstrates the potential of a brand-new biomaterial— a hydrogel — for use directly at the tumor site.
& nbsp, Petra Klawikowski‘s photo
Tumor surgery continues to be a crucial component of cancer treatment, along with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. However, for some cancers, the risk of the cancer resurfacing during the post-operative phase can be as high as 30 % to 55 %. Evidence also suggests that any tumor cells that the scalpel misses might become more aggressive. The protein transcription of the remaining cells changes, encouraging their growth and migration.
The tumor microenvironment( TME ) is crucial to post-operative outcomes, but research into and understanding of it is still in its infancy.
et al. Rwandamuriye Access to the TME during surgery is used in the innovation. In order to create a hostile microenvironment for tumor cells and, in turn, enhance surgical outcomes, they devised an immediate treatment specifically for the tumor site.
Their most recent discovery is a brand-new biomaterial called hydrogel that is intended to cover an excised tumor’s former site before suturing it shut. Hydrogens have a long history of use in human applications, and their physical characteristics can be changed to optimize active period and dosage for drug delivery.
et al. Rwandamuriye Toll-like receptor( TLR ) 3 agonist polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid, also known as poly ] I: C ] is an immunotherapy agent that is infused into the hydrogel. An immunotherapeutic called poly [ I: C ] causes a special type of cell death known as immunogenic cell die. This kind of demise alerts the immune system, causing an anti-tumor response where potentially lingering cancer cells might be hiding. The researchers were able to extend the release of the immunotherapeutic by using poly [ I: C ] – infused hydrogel, which successfully stopped tumor recurrence after surgery in a number of animal models. The treatment also showed that long-term systemic anti-cancer immunity could be established.
The hydrogel’s ease of application makes it a desirable choice for clinical use.
While this discovery has a lot of potential, the next crucial step will be to carry out human tests to confirm the safety and efficacy of the poly [ I: C ]- releasing hydrogel used in tumor resection. This discovery may soon become a crucial part of every new tumor surgery, giving both patients and medical professionals hope for the fight against cancer.
2023 Cell Reports Medicine by Rwandamuriye et al.
Sources: The New England Journal of Medicine, Biomaterials, Translational Lung Cancer Research, Neuro-Oncology, and YouTube Science Magazine