Nanotechnology

New nanocatalyst targets tumors without oxygen

Structure and biological mechanism of action of NP4 on tumor-targeted glutathione (GSH) oxidation catalyst in hypoxic osteosarcoma tumors. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53646-y

Tumors often contain areas of oxygen-deficient tissue that do not tolerate conventional treatments. This is because drugs applied to tumors require oxygen to be effective. An international research team has developed a new mechanism of action that works without oxygen. Nanocatalysts incorporated into the polymer selectively target tumor tissue and switch off glutathione, which cells need to survive.

A group led by Dr. Johannes Karges from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.

“Tumors grow very quickly and consume a lot of oxygen, and blood vessels can’t always grow to keep up, so they often contain areas with poor oxygen supply,” says Johannes Karges. explains. These areas are often at the center of the tumor and often survive treatment with conventional drugs, so the tumor initially shrinks but does not disappear completely. This is because therapeutic drugs require oxygen to be effective.

The mechanism of action developed by Calges’ team works without oxygen. “This is a catalyst based on the element ruthenium, which oxidizes glutathione, which is naturally present in cancer cells, and switches it off,” Karges explains. Glutathione is essential for cell survival and protects cells from various factors. When the effect wears off, cells deteriorate.

All cells in the body require and contain glutathione. However, the catalyst exerts a selective effect on cancer cells because it is encapsulated in polymer nanoparticles that specifically accumulate in tumor tissue. Experiments using mice carrying cancer cells and human tumors, which were thought to be incurable, have proven successful.

“These are encouraging results and need to be confirmed in further studies,” concluded Johannes Karges. “Still, there is a lot of research that needs to be done before it can be used in humans.”

Further information: Hanchen Zhang et al, Tumor-targeted glutathione oxidation catalysis with ruthenium nanoreactors for hypoxic osteosarcoma, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53646-y

Provided by Ruhr University Bochum

Citation: New nanocatalyst targets tumors without oxygen (October 31, 2024) From https://phys.org/news/2024-10-nanocatalyst-tumors-oxygen.html November 3, 2024 obtained in

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