Indian scientists develop ‘smart’ cancer drug designed to target tumor cells
Scientists in India have developed a new “smart” cancer drug designed to activate primarily inside cancer cells, potentially offering a more targeted approach than traditional chemotherapy, which can also damage healthy tissue, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to a report by India’s Department of Science and Technology, the drug, called RK-251, was developed by a research team led by Dr. Asis Bala of the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) and Dr. K.P. Bhabak of the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati.
RK-251 is designed to remain inactive in normal tissues and switch on when it encounters high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are often found in cancer cells. Once activated, it releases NBDHEX, an anticancer compound that blocks proteins that many cancer cells use to survive and resist treatment.
In preclinical studies, RK-251 showed strong activity against aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cells while having much less effect on healthy cells.
Tests in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) found no obvious signs of toxicity. The drug also produced the expected fluorescence in the presence of ROS, suggesting it may be safe for further research and validation.
More studies and validation are needed before RK-251 can be tested in patients.
The study was published in the ACS Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that scientists had developed an experimental cancer treatment that destroyed 99% of cancer cells in laboratory tests without initially relying on chemotherapy, surgery or radiation.