Experimental compound activates in environments with high levels of reactive oxygen species, potentially reducing damage to healthy cells
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Photo source: Catalin Rusnac / iStock
Indian scientists have developed an experimental cancer drug designed to activate primarily inside tumour cells, offering a potential alternative to conventional chemotherapy, which can also damage healthy tissue, as reported by the official website of the Indian Department of Science and Technology.
The candidate was developed by researchers from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. Its design aims to keep the drug largely inactive in healthy tissue and trigger its therapeutic action in cancer cells.
The approach exploits a biological difference between cancerous and normal cells. Many tumour cells generate elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), molecules involved in oxidative stress.
When the candidate enters a cell with high ROS levels, the researchers say the molecules trigger the release of NBDHEX, an active anticancer compound. NBDHEX targets proteins that contribute to the survival and treatment resistance of cancer cells.
In preclinical experiments, the drug candidate demonstrated activity against triple-negative breast cancer cells, an aggressive form of breast cancer for which treatment options remain limited. The researchers reported substantially lower effects on healthy cells in the tests.
The compound was also evaluated in zebrafish embryos as part of an early assessment of its biological effects. The experiments showed no obvious signs of toxicity, while fluorescence linked to the presence of reactive oxygen species indicated that the compound was responding to the intended cellular conditions.
The findings suggest that using the chemical environment inside cancer cells as a trigger could provide a way to make anticancer treatment more selective. Instead of remaining active throughout the body, the drug is designed to release its therapeutic component when it encounters conditions characteristic of tumour cells.
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