IIT Guwahati researchers develop great innovative injectable hydrogel
IIT Guwahati and Bose Institute Kolkata researchers developed an advanced injectable hydrogel for localised cancer treatment.
This innovative hydrogel-based therapy delivers anti-cancer drugs directly to tumor sites, significantly reducing the side effects typically associated with conventional cancer treatments.
The paper is co-authored by Prof. Debapratim Das, along with his research scholars Ms. Tanushree Das and Ms. Ritvika Kushwaha from IIT Guwahati, and collaborators Dr. Kuldip Jana, Mr. Satyajit Halder, and Mr. Anup Kumar Misra from Bose Institute Kolkata.
Challenge
Cancer continues to be a pressing global health challenge, with millions of patients affected worldwide. Current treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgical interventions, often have severe limitations, say researchers from IIT Guwahati.
Surgical removal of tumors is sometimes not feasible, particularly for internal organs, while chemotherapy’s systemic delivery often results in harmful side effects by affecting both cancerous and healthy cells.
Design
Prof. Debpratim Das, Department of Chemistry, and his team at IIT Guwahati addressed these challenges by designing a hydrogel that delivers drugs precisely to the tumor site, ensuring localized action.
Water-based
Hydrogels are water-based, three-dimensional polymer networks capable of absorbing and retaining fluids. Their unique structure mimics living tissues, making them suitable for biomedical applications.
This newly developed hydrogel acts as a stable reservoir for anti-cancer drugs and releases them in a controlled manner, responding to specific conditions in the tumor microenvironment, say researchers from IIT Guwahati.
It responds to elevated glutathione (GSH) levels, a molecule abundant in tumor cells.
Upon encountering high GSH levels, the hydrogel triggers a controlled drug release directly into the tumor, minimizing its interaction with healthy tissues and reducing systemic side effects, say sources from IIT Guwahati.
Department of Chemistry at IIT Guwahati
Speaking about the breakthrough, Prof. Debapratim Das, Dept. of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati, said, “This work exemplifies how scientific innovation can directly address the pressing needs of cancer treatment.
The hydrogel’s unique properties allow it to work in harmony with the biological environment, offering precision where it is needed most, said Prof Debapratim Das of IIT Guwahati.
We are excited by its potential to transform our thoughts about localized drug delivery, he said.
Preclinical trials
In preclinical trials on a murine model of breast cancer, the hydrogel showcased remarkable efficacy.
A single injection of the hydrogel, loaded with the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, resulted in a ~75% reduction in tumor size within 18 days.
Crucially, the hydrogel remained localized at the tumor site, steadily releasing the drug over time without causing detectable side effects on other organs.
Delivery system
This innovative delivery system enhances the drug’s effectiveness while reducing the required dosage, thus minimizing toxicity.
Laboratory studies further demonstrated that the hydrogel improves drug uptake by cancer cells, induces cell cycle arrest, and promotes programmed cell death, thereby attacking tumors on multiple fronts.
Further studies
Further studies are going on to find out the maximum amount of reduction in the size of the tumor by a single dose. Moreover, we are also looking into other types of tumors, say sources from IIT Guwahati.
Once all the studies are complete, will apply to take the material for clinical trial and are looking for an appropriate partner to do the same.
At present, the Institute has eleven departments, nine interdisciplinary academic centres and five schools.
They are covering all the major engineering, science, healthcare, management, and humanities disciplines, offering BTech, BDes, BSc(Hons), MA, MDes, MTech, MSc, MS(R), MBA and PhD programmes.
The institute offers a residential campus to 455 faculty members and more than 8,600 students at present.
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S Vishnu Sharmaa is with collegechalo.com in the news team where he writes articles related to the education sector in India. Journalism has always been a passion for him. He has over 20 years of enriching experience with various media organizations like Eenadu, Webdunia, News Today, Infodea. He also has a strong interest in writing stories related to Indian defense and Indian Railways.
