Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and Bose Institute Kolkata have developed an advanced injectable hydrogel designed for localised cancer treatment. This therapy delivers anti-cancer drugs directly to tumour sites, significantly reducing side effects commonly associated with conventional treatments like chemotherapy.
The findings, published in the Materials Horizons journal by the Royal Society of Chemistry, showcase the collaborative work of Prof. Debapratim Das, Tanushree Das, and Ritvika Kushwaha from IIT Guwahati, alongside Dr Kuldip Jana, Satyajit Halder, and Anup Kumar Misra from Bose Institute Kolkata.
Cancer remains a global health crisis, with millions of patients affected annually. Traditional treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery often have significant drawbacks. While surgical removal of tumours may not be feasible for certain internal organs, systemic chemotherapy affects both healthy and cancerous cells, causing severe side effects.
To tackle these challenges, Prof. Das and his team at IIT Guwahati developed a hydrogel capable of delivering drugs precisely to tumour sites, ensuring targeted action.
Hydrogels are water-based, three-dimensional polymer networks that mimic living tissues, making them ideal for biomedical applications. This innovative hydrogel acts as a stable reservoir for anti-cancer drugs, releasing them in a controlled manner in response to conditions in the tumour microenvironment.
Composed of ultra-short peptides—biocompatible and biodegradable protein building blocks—the hydrogel remains insoluble in biological fluids, ensuring it stays localised at the injection site. The hydrogel responds to elevated glutathione (GSH) levels, abundant in tumour cells, to trigger a controlled drug release, thereby minimising interaction with healthy tissues and reducing systemic side effects.
“This work exemplifies how scientific innovation can directly address the pressing needs of cancer treatment," said Prof. Das. “The hydrogel’s unique properties allow it to work in harmony with the biological environment, offering precision where it is needed most. We are excited by its potential to transform our thoughts about localised drug delivery," he added.
In preclinical trials on a murine model of breast cancer, a single injection of the hydrogel loaded with Doxorubicin, a chemotherapy drug, reduced tumour size by approximately 75 per cent within 18 days. The hydrogel remained localised, steadily releasing the drug without causing detectable side effects on other organs.
This system enhances the effectiveness of the drug while reducing the required dosage, and minimising toxicity. Laboratory studies further demonstrated the hydrogel’s ability to improve drug uptake by cancer cells, induce cell cycle arrest, and promote programmed cell death, effectively combating tumours on multiple fronts.
The team is currently conducting further studies to determine the maximum tumour size reduction achievable with a single dose and exploring the hydrogel’s efficacy against other tumour types. "Once all studies are complete, we plan to apply for clinical trials and are seeking an appropriate partner to advance this technology," Prof. Das added.
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