By Admin at 7 Sep 2016, 16:27 PM

A new triple-combination hydrogel patch may help to overcome treatment limitations and improve survival among colorectal cancer patients.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States as well as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Typical treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, are sometimes effective but may, in the case of surgery, leave some of the tumor behind.

In addition, chemotherapy and radiation kill both healthy and cancerous cells, leading to sometimes-severe side effects. Another limitation of such treatments is their application to your whole body. This means only a small amount of the drug may actually reach the tumor site.

The new patch offers three different lines of therapy — gene, drug and phototherapy — and led to complete tumor remission and prevention of recurrence in an animal study.

Specifically, after surgery the application of the patch led to complete remission. When the patch was not applied, the cancer returned in 40 percent of cases. The patch was also effective in destroying colorectal tumors prior to surgery, which means it could potentially eliminate the need for surgery in some patients.

According to study author Natalie Artzi, a research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), in an IMES press release:

"This administration modality would enable, at least in early stage cancer patients, the avoidance of open field surgery and colon resection. Local application of the triple therapy could thus improve patients' quality of life and therapeutic outcome."

 So how does it work? The patch is applied at the tumor site and then delivers a triple-threat to the cancer:

1. Destruction: The patch contains gold nanorods that heat up when exposed to near-infrared radiation. This helps to thermally destroy the tumor.

2. Chemotherapy: The nanorods also release a chemotherapy drug when heated, which is released locally to attack the tumor and surrounding cells.

3. Gene therapy: Other gold nanorods in the patch deliver RNA, or gene therapy, to the tumor site. This helps to silence oncogenes, which may transform healthy cells into tumor cells.

The researchers believe the patch could be used to shrink colorectal tumors prior to surgery as well as to kill any remaining cancer cells and prevent recurrence after surgery.

It may also be useful in treating other types of cancer. According to the study, “This local, triple-combination therapy can be adapted to other cancer cell types and to molecular targets associated with disease progression.”

In most cases, colorectal cancer begins as a growth, or polyp, on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Regular screening, such as colonoscopy, is often effective at removing polyps before they turn into cancer.

Sources:
Nature Materials July 25, 2016
MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science July 25, 2016
Medical News Today July 26, 2016

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