Pancreatic cancer is a formidable disease with limited treatment options. However, scientists, including Rice University chemist James Tour, have developed a groundbreaking approach that offers new hope. This innovative therapy, designed to protect healthy tissue from radiation damage while effectively targeting cancerous cells, is now advancing to phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.
Treating pancreatic cancer is particularly challenging due to its proximity to critical organs like the small intestine. While high-dose radiation is necessary to combat this aggressive disease, it often causes severe gastrointestinal toxicity, limiting how much radiation can be safely delivered and reducing treatment effectiveness.
A New Approach: Protecting Healthy Tissue While Targeting Tumors
This new therapy seeks to overcome this challenge by selectively shielding healthy tissue from radiation while ensuring a higher dose reaches the tumor. It could significantly improve outcomes, especially for patients with inoperable tumors.
“We’re pushing the boundaries of radiation treatment while safeguarding healthy tissue,” Tour said. “This breakthrough could soon help patients who previously had limited treatment options.”
From Radiation Research to a Promising Treatment
The journey to this clinical trial has been decades in the making, stemming from Tour’s research on nanoparticle solutions for radiation poisoning. This work led to the repurposing of amifostine, a drug originally developed to protect normal tissue from radiation damage.
Although intravenous amifostine is effective, its side effects have restricted its widespread use. Tour’s team discovered that oral administration could selectively protect the gastrointestinal tract from radiation with fewer side effects. However, challenges remained in ensuring the drug reached the intestines intact.
Preclinical studies in mouse models have yielded remarkable results, showing significant improvements in survival rates and tumor control. These findings have paved the way for clinical trials, offering new hope to patients and their families.
