New drug delivery method can reduce cancer recurrence rate

According to a recent paper published in the US Science and Translational Medicine magazine, a research team in the United States has developed a new mode of administration that can be used to inject chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy by injecting a special gel. The drug is delivered directly to the tumor site and then released. This method is expected to reduce the recurrence rate of cancer.

Common modes of administration include subcutaneous injection, intravenous injection, oral administration, and smearing. In general, the route of administration of drugs is closely related to the therapeutic effects of various clinical conditions.

This time, the University of North Carolina research team based on animal models, treatment of melanoma and a breast cancer that was previously less sensitive to immunotherapy. The researchers mixed the biocompatible polymer with a cross-linking agent that immediately formed a gel in the body that carried the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine and an immune checkpoint inhibitor. The results of the study showed that after resection of the primary tumor in mice, the new treatment significantly reduced the cancer recurrence rate.

Team members explained that this gel first increases the concentration of active oxygen that occurs with tumor growth, allowing immunotherapeutics to better "find" tumors. Enriched reactive oxygen species cause the gel to slowly melt, releasing two drugs in succession. These chemotherapy drugs "kill" some cancer cells and enhance the sensitivity of tumors to immunotherapeutics. As the gel degrades, the level of reactive oxygen species in the tumor site also decreases, which helps to inhibit tumor growth.

The researchers say that this simple method takes advantage of the biological characteristics of the tumor and the body's own immunity to inhibit tumor development, reducing side effects while chemotherapy. They believe that this method has great potential or is effective for other tumors. But before entering the clinical trial, there is still a lot of work to be done.