Scientists have developed a novel therapeutic approach that could transform cancer treatment by simultaneously addressing two critical aspects of tumor growth – a breakthrough that shows particular promise for advanced prostate cancer patients.
The new technique, developed by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and detailed in ACS Nanoscience Au, uses specialized nanoparticles to deliver two types of RNA molecules that work together to both stop tumor growth and restore the body’s natural tumor suppression abilities.
Fighting Cancer on Two Fronts
“Most cancers occur when there is an imbalance of cellular growth and inhibition, causing cells to grow rapidly and form tumors in the body,” explains Yang Zhang, PhD, co-senior author of the study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Center for Nanomedicine.
What makes this approach unique is its ability to simultaneously address both sides of this imbalance. The treatment delivers two distinct therapeutic components: one that blocks tumors from growing (siRNA) and another that helps restore the body’s natural tumor-fighting mechanisms (mRNA).
The research team focused their initial studies on advanced prostate cancer, where the treatment showed remarkable effectiveness. In laboratory tests, the combination therapy triggered cell death in over 60% of cancer cells – significantly more effective than either treatment alone.
“Our results demonstrate that simultaneous silencing of AR and restoration of PTEN exhibit a strong synergistic effect in prostate cancer cells,” reports co-senior author Jinjun Shi, PhD. The researchers found that this dual-action approach was particularly effective because it prevented cancer cells from developing resistance through alternative survival pathways.
Innovation in Delivery
A key innovation in this research was the development of specialized lipid nanoparticles that could effectively deliver both types of RNA molecules to cancer cells. The team screened multiple formulations to identify the optimal delivery system that would maintain the stability and effectiveness of both therapeutic components.
While the initial research focused on prostate cancer, the researchers believe their approach could have much broader applications. “This strategy could also apply to other drivers of tumor growth and tumor suppressors in prostate cancer and other types of cancer, such as breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma,” Zhang notes.
Looking Ahead
The team plans to expand their research to assess the treatment’s effectiveness in other types of cancer and further explore the biological mechanisms behind their observed results. While the current study was conducted in laboratory settings, the promising results suggest this could lead to more effective treatments for cancer patients in the future.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and represents a collaboration between multiple departments at Mass General Brigham.
The study was published in ACS Nanoscience Au. Research funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health (R01CA200900 and R01CA262524).