New cancer-killing material developed by Oregon State University nanomedicine researchers

Graphic depicting how new CDT nanoagent works.
Illustration Credit: Parinaz Ghanbari.

Scientific Frontline: "At a Glance" Summary

• Main Discovery: A novel iron-based metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoagent has been developed to trigger dual chemical reactions within cancer cells, generating oxidative stress via hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen to eradicate malignant cells while sparing healthy tissue.
• Methodology: The researchers designed a chemodynamic therapy (CDT) agent that leverages the acidic and high-hydrogen peroxide microenvironment of tumors to catalyze the simultaneous production of hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen.
• Key Data: In preclinical studies involving mice with human breast cancer, systemic administration of the nanoagent resulted in complete tumor eradication and long-term prevention of recurrence with no observed systemic toxicity or adverse effects on healthy cells.
• Significance: This advancement overcomes limitations of existing CDT agents that typically generate only one type of reactive oxygen species or lack sufficient catalytic activity, offering a more potent and durable therapeutic benefit for cancer treatment.
• Future Application: The team plans to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of this nanoagent in various other cancer types, including aggressive pancreatic cancer, to establish its broad applicability prior to human clinical trials.
• Branch of Science: Nanomedicine, Oncology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new nanomaterial that triggers a pair of chemical reactions inside cancer cells, killing the cells via oxidative stress while leaving healthy tissues alone.

The study led by Oleh and Olena Taratula and Chao Wang of the OSU College of Pharmacy was published this week in Advanced Functional Materials.

The findings advance the field of chemodynamic therapy or CDT, an emerging treatment approach based on the distinctive biochemical environment found in cancer cells. Compared to healthy tissues, malignant tumors are more acidic and have elevated concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, the scientists explain.

Conventional CDT works by using the tumor microenvironment to trigger the chemical production of hydroxyl radicals: molecules, made up oxygen and hydrogen, with an unpaired electron. These reactive oxygen species are able to damage cells through oxidation by stealing electrons from molecules like lipids, proteins and DNA.

Recent chemodynamic therapy designs have been able to use tumor conditions to catalyze production of another reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen, so named because it has one electron spin state rather than the three states found in the more stable oxygen molecules in the air.

“However, existing CDT agents are limited,” Oleh Taratula said. “They efficiently generate either radical hydroxyls or singlet oxygen but not both, and they often lack sufficient catalytic activity to sustain robust reactive oxygen species production. Consequently, preclinical studies often only show partial tumor regression and not a durable therapeutic benefit.”

In this paper, the scientists present a novel CDT nanoagent, an iron-based metal-organic framework or MOF, able to generate both compounds for more effective treatment, and with superior catalytic efficiency. The MOF showed potent toxicity in multiple cancer cell lines and negligible harm to noncancerous cells.

“When we systemically administered our nanoagent in mice bearing human breast cancer cells, it efficiently accumulated in tumors, robustly generated reactive oxygen species and completely eradicated the cancer without adverse effects,” Olena Taratula said. “We saw total tumor regression and long-term prevention of recurrence, all without seeing any systemic toxicity.”

Before this treatment can be tested in humans, the research team plans to evaluate its therapeutic efficacy in various cancer types, including aggressive pancreatic cancer, to demonstrate its broad applicability across different malignancies.

Funding: National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Published in journal: Advanced Functional Materials

Title: Structurally Engineered Ferrous Metal–Organic Framework as a Chemodynamic Therapy Nanoagent for Concurrent Hydroxyl Radical and Singlet Oxygen Generation

Authors: Chao Wang, Kongbrailatpam Shitaljit Sharma, Yoon Tae Goo, Vladislav Grigoriev, Constanze Raitmayr, Ana Paula Mesquita Souza, Manali Parag Phawde, Olena R. Taratula, Oleh Taratula

Source/Credit: Oregon State University | Steve Lundeberg

Reference Number: ongy012826_01

Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contact Us