Administering low doses of cancer drugs continuously near malignant brain tumors using iontronic technology causes a significant decrease in cancer cell growth. Researchers from Linköping University, Sweden, and the Medical University of Graz, Austria, confirmed this in experiments with bird embryos. These findings bring us closer to developing new and effective treatments for aggressive forms of cancer.With the publication of the results in the Journal of Controlled Release, the experiments on bird embryos have brought us closer to developing new and effective treatments for severe forms of cancer. Malignant brain tumors commonly reappear even after surgery and post-treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. This is due to the ability of cancer cells to hide deep within tissue and then regrow. The tight network surrounding blood vessels in the brain, known as the blood-brain barrier, prevents many substances in the blood from entering it, making it difficult for the most effective drugs to pass through. As a result, there are limited options available for treating severe cancers.a team of researchers from Linköping University and the Medical University of Graz has made progress in using iontronic pump technology to target and slow down the growth of aggressive brain tumors, specifically glioblastoma. Initially, the pump was tested on tumor cells in a laboratory setting, but now the researchers have advanced to experimenting on living tumors by allowing glioblastoma cells to grow in undeveloped bird embryos. This advancement is a significant step towards potential clinical cancer treatments using this innovative technology.the brain to continually deliver low doses of gemcitabine, a powerful drug. A study showed that the growth of cancer cells was reduced when the drug was administered in this way. Daniel Simon, a professor of organic electronics at Linköping University, stated, “We have previously demonstrated that the idea is effective. Now, with a living tumor model, we can see that the pump delivers the drug very efficiently. Despite being a simplified human model, we have more confidence that it works.” The potential future treatment for glioblastoma involves the surgical implantation of an iontronic device directly into the brain.The tactic involves delivering drugs directly to the brain near the tumor, allowing for the use of low doses of strong medications and avoiding the blood-brain barrier. Precise dosing in terms of location and timing is crucial for effective treatment. Additionally, this method can reduce side effects since the chemotherapy doesn’t have to travel throughout the entire body.
In addition to brain tumors, researchers are optimistic that iontronics can be used to treat many other types of hard-to-treat cancers.
It becomes a very persistent treatment that the tumor cannot hide from. Even though the tumor and surrounding tissue try to fight back In iontronics, we can use drug delivery systems to continuously provide a high concentration of medication to the tissue near the tumor, according to Theresia Arbring Sjöström, a researcher at Linköping University’s Laboratory for Organic Electronics. The researchers conducted a comparison between continuous drug delivery and once-daily dosing, similar to current chemotherapy administration. They found that tumor growth decreased with the continuous ionic treatment, even though the daily-dose approach was twice as potent.The study was carried out using bird embryos in the early stages of development. Linda Waldherr, a researcher at the Medical University of Graz and a guest researcher at LiU, explained that this model provides a good link to larger animal experiments:
“Certain biological systems function similarly in bird embryos and living animals, such as the formation of blood vessels. However, we don’t need to surgically implant any devices in them yet. This shows that the concept works, although there are still many challenges to address,” she says.
The researchers believe that human trials could be possible within the next five to ten years.Researchers are now working on refining the materials needed for the surgical implantation of iontronic pumps. They will also be conducting additional experiments on both rats and larger animals to continue evaluating the effectiveness of this treatment method.
