Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new nanomaterial that targets cancer cells by inducing oxidative stress, according to research published in Advanced Functional Materials. The study was led by Oleh and Olena Taratula and Chao Wang from the OSU College of Pharmacy.
The research advances chemodynamic therapy (CDT), a treatment approach that uses the unique biochemical environment inside cancer cells. Malignant tumors tend to be more acidic and contain higher levels of hydrogen peroxide compared to healthy tissues.
Traditional CDT relies on producing hydroxyl radicals—reactive oxygen species that damage cellular components through oxidation. Some recent therapies also use tumor conditions to generate singlet oxygen, another reactive molecule.
"However, existing CDT agents are limited," said Oleh Taratula. "They efficiently generate either radical hydroxyls or singlet oxygen but not both, and they often lack sufficient catalytic activity to sustain robust reactive oxygen species production. Consequently, preclinical studies often only show partial tumor regression and not a durable therapeutic benefit."
The new iron-based metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoagent described in the paper is able to produce both hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen with improved catalytic efficiency. Laboratory tests showed strong toxicity against several cancer cell lines while causing minimal harm to noncancerous cells.
The researchers plan further studies to test the treatment’s effectiveness in different types of cancer, including aggressive pancreatic cancer, before considering human trials.
Additional contributors from Oregon State include Kongbrailatpam Shitaljit Sharma, Yoon Tae Goo, Vladislav Grigoriev, Constanze Raitmayr, Ana Paula Mesquita Souza, and Manali Parag Phawde. The project received funding from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
