A study led by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), and published in ‘Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology’, has shown the effectiveness of ultrasound therapy in the inhibition of cancer cells in cases of pancreatic cancer, which opens the door Development of new …
A study led by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), and published in ‘Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology’, has shown the effectiveness of ultrasound therapy in the inhibition of cancer cells in cases of pancreatic cancer, which opens the door Development of new non-invasive treatment based on ultrasonic technology to inhibit the growth of solid tumors.
The growth of solid tumors is accompanied by processes of proliferation and migration of cancer cells, and current treatments, including ionizing radiation, destroy both malignant and healthy cells.
,For the first time, our research raises the prospect of developing a new therapy specifically based on non-ionizing ultrasonic technology, which would mean a non-invasive, low-cost, easy-to-use treatment without collateral damage for patients.“, have elaborated CSIC Researcher at the ‘Leonardo Torres Quevedo’ Institute of Physical and Information Technology (off), isiar gonzalez,
Specifically, the researchers looked at ‘in vitro’ samples of pancreatic cancer. “aWe applied a single dose of low-intensity ultrasound for only twenty minutes to samples of PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells and we were able to inhibit the collective and individual progression of cells in the monolayer for at least two days.“, argued the expert.
The use of ultrasonic waves under certain acoustic conditions for 15 or 20 min inhibited the ability of cell movement for a long time, more than 48 h or even up to 3 days after treatment. In addition, the scientists also observed some disruptions in cell proliferation processes that we are currently analyzing in other experiments in our laboratories.
The next step will be in vivo testing with mice to demonstrate the efficacy and suitability of this therapy. The aim is to test the good results obtained ‘in vitro’ with mice bearing different types of tumours. The experiments with mice will be carried out in collaboration with researchers from Harvard University, the University of the Basque Country and the Ramon y Cajal Institute for Health Research, thanks to the use of a small ultrasonic device adjustable for each animal.
