To avoid the unwanted side effects of cancer drugs, scientists at the University of Leeds in England designed microbubbles for delivering drugs precisely to the tumour cells!
How many of you are aware of the adverse effects of cancer drugs?
All those unwanted side effects are due to the mechanism of action of cancer drugs. The cancer drugs attack the defective cells. However, those drugs, along with destroying the cancer cells, cause collateral damage by affecting the normal cells of the body too. Here is where the importance of the innovation of microbubbles for delivering drugs comes to light.
Normally, oncologists have to closely adjust the doses of the tumour drugs to avoid side-effects. However, they have to make dose adjustments without jeopardizing the management of the tumour. With this problem, the researchers sought a solution. They have designed an approach with can precisely deliver cancer drugs to the targeted cells/organs. Microbubbles, which are about half the size of red blood cells, are loaded with antibodies. Those antibodies seek the hormones or biomarkers associated with the tumour. Once the microbubbles reach the target, the doctors will use the ultrasound to break up the microbubbles. Consequently, the ultrasonic waves will release the therapeutic agent.
Dr. Nicola Ingram of the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds, one of the leaders of the research, said:
“One of the big problems with cancer drugs is that they are highly toxic to the rest of the body too. Microbubble technology could allow us to use these very powerful drugs with precision and that reduces the risk of the drug damaging healthy cells nearby.”
Additionally, the microbubbles have the potential to remain in the vasculature longer than the naked drug. Subsequently, greater concentrations of the drug can gather at the tumours, thereby, improving the efficacy of the treatment. Moreover, this also allowed lower doses to have a greater effect.
Professor Stephen Evans, head of the Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group at Leeds and one of the paper’s authors
“The results of this study are exciting because we not only show the very precise and targeted way microbubbles can be guided to cancer sites but that the efficacy of drug delivery is substantially improved, opening the way to use highly toxic drugs to fight cancer, without the harmful side effects. Put simply: you get more bang for your buck.”
