The scientists, led by Shanta Dhar and her team at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, have published the results of their research in the journal ACS Central Science. According to the study, in mouse models, an oral version of this therapy significantly reduced the size of tumors.
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The researchers discovered that, as the disease progresses, prostate cancer cells change their metabolism and begin to use fatty acid oxidation as a source of energy for growth and division. Based on this finding, they developed a therapy that inhibits this metabolic process in cancer cells, making them susceptible to cisplatin.
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Prostate cancer is the most frequent in men, with higher mortality rates.
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To make this therapy orally administrable, the researchers encapsulated Platin-L in nanoparticles made of a biocompatible polymer that specifically target prostate cancer cells. When they administered these nanoparticles to mouse models of cisplatin-resistant prostate cancer, observed a significant reduction in the size of the tumors, unlike mice treated with conventional saline or cisplatin, whose tumors continued to grow.
In addition, mice treated with the Platin-L nanoparticles experienced stable body weight, increased survival rates, and no peripheral neuropathy, a side effect commonly associated with chemotherapy. Although more research is still needed, this promising study provides hope for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.
