Tumor Cells Killed By A Calcium Storm In Promising Research

Calcium ions are important messengers in biological cells that play a role in keeping the ever-important mitochondrial functioning, traveling in and out through channels that open/close with triggers to maintain the optimal balance. However, typically, if there is too much calcium, elements of healthy cellular composition, such as the mitochondria, can suffocate. 

The paper published in Angewandte Chemie describes how the scientists developed a drug that is capable of causing a calcium storm within the cells to use this over influx on demand to ward off and destroy tumor cells, and they have shown how this can be used to fight cancer. The drug contains silica nanoparticles containing indocyanine green dye that tumors recognize and transport inside of the cells to be activated by near-infrared light once it has reached the target. But that is not the end of the process, this is a two-pronged attack, once activated inside the target cell it heats up, and this causes a calcium-storing organelle inside of the cell to open its floodgates.

The scientists report success in lab experiments on human cells in a dish using this method. The following mouse experiments showed that the injectable drug accumulated in the tumors, and when near-infrared light was shone on it the drug was activated and went to work, leaving the mice tumor-free after only a few days, with no harm to the animals.

While the researchers say that there is still plenty of work to be done before trying this anti-tumor method in human clinical trials to eradicate tumor cells in the battle against cancer, they say that the basic mechanism of activating ion channels could be investigated for a wide range of potential therapies and biomedical research.