Health
By Alex Mitchell
Published
Jan. 30, 2024, 8:50 p.m. ET
In the fight against cancer, researchers from Ewha Womens University in Seoul, South Korea have made a significant breakthrough. They have developed a powerful chemical composition that can eliminate tumor cells, as reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie.
The promising new cancer-fighting drug was created by manipulating calcium levels in the cells, which is believed to be the key to an “anti-tumor” formula.
An excess of calcium ions is typically harmful and can disrupt the healthy cellular composition, including the mitochondria, considered the cell’s powerhouse. The scientists have found a way to utilize this harmful over-influx to combat and destroy tumor cells in the body through what they refer to as a “calcium storm.”
It has also been discovered that exposure to infrared light can facilitate the activation of the new drug for the aforementioned storm.
The injectable formula was tested on mice with tumors, using specially modified silica beads that posed no harm to the animals. Once it entered their bloodstream, the team confirmed that the drug successfully reached the tumor and became active in the presence of infrared light.
Within a few days, the tumors disappeared.
The research team is now hopeful that this formula can be applied to advance biomedical research.
This breakthrough comes at a time when a new, machine learning-powered method for accurately screening ovarian cancer has also been unveiled.
