Researchers use focused ultrasound to shrink prostate tumors, no surgery needed
Researchers from Rice University and Vanderbilt University have made significant advancements in the fight against prostate cancer.
They have shown that combining a small-molecule therapy called tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) with focused ultrasound (FUS) can effectively reduce tumor size in laboratory models.
The findings were published in the journal Advanced Science.
Focused ultrasound
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, claiming approximately 10 million lives annually.
The collaborative study, spearheaded by Michael King, a professor of bioengineering at Rice, and Charles Caskey, an associate professor at Vanderbilt, is pioneering in its approach.
It highlights how low-intensity mechanical forces can be utilized with TRAIL to provide a new treatment strategy for cancer patients.
King highlights the pressing need for better treatment options for advanced and recurrent prostate cancer, which ranks as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States.
“Prostate cancer is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer in over 100 countries,” he notes, highlighting the urgency for innovative therapeutic strategies. He expresses optimism that their findings could soon translate to practical clinical applications.
Traditional treatments for prostate cancer often come with severe side effects, causing a growing interest in FUS therapies.
This non-invasive method enables targeted treatment directly at tumor sites, which can limit damaging effects on surrounding healthy tissues.
Shrinking prostate tumors
One of the challenges with TRAIL therapy is its short lifespan in the bloodstream, lasting only about 30 minutes before being metabolized. This necessitates frequent dosing to achieve any substantial effect, which can lead to increased side effects and patient inconvenience.
“TRAIL specifically triggers the death of cancer cells while sparing healthy ones,” King explains, noting that previous studies indicated mechanical forces like fluid shear stress (FSS) could enhance TRAIL’s anticancer effects.
However, FSS operates primarily within the circulatory system, limiting its effectiveness to circulating tumor cells and not addressing solid tumors directly.
This limitation highlighted the need for a practical method that combines mechanical forces with TRAIL therapy in a localized manner.
The researchers sought to explore whether FUS could serve as a viable partner for TRAIL in treating primary prostate tumors before they metastasize.
In their investigation, graduate students Abigail Fabiano and Malachy Newman conducted experiments using prostate cancer cell lines.
No surgery needed
Their objective involved varying the parameters of FUS treatment to ensure that healthy cells were not adversely affected by mechanical forces while maximizing the effects on cancer cells. The results were promising.
The researchers found that the combined application of FUS and TRAIL substantially diminished the number of cancer cells and the overall size of tumors compared to administering either treatment alone.
“This foundational study lays the groundwork for a potential new therapy for prostate cancer,” King states, underscoring the importance of their research.
Their findings could open new avenues in medical treatment, indicating a future where mechanical therapies like focused ultrasound are used alongside small-molecule treatments to tackle various cancers more effectively while minimizing adverse effects.
As the researchers continue to refine their approach, the hope is that these insights will benefit patients with prostate cancer and pave the way for innovative cancer therapies that enhance the efficacy and safety of existing treatments.
Source: Interesting Engineering
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Researchers use focused ultrasound to shrink prostate tumors, no surgery needed