Tag: cancer treatment

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COVID Caused Cancer Tumours to Shrink in Mice – New Study

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SARS-CoV-2 infecting a human cell. Credit: NIH

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

A fascinating new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, has revealed an unexpected potential benefit of severe COVID infection: it may help shrink cancer.

This surprising finding, based on research conducted in mice, opens up new possibilities for cancer treatment and sheds light on the complex interactions between the immune system and cancer cells – but it certainly doesn’t mean people should actively try to catch COVID.

The data outlining the importance of the immune system in cancer is considerable and many drugs target the immune system, unlocking its potential, an important focus of my own research.

The study here focused on a type of white blood cell called monocytes. These immune cells play a crucial role in the body’s defence against infections and other threats. However, in cancer patients, monocytes can sometimes be hijacked by tumour cells and transformed into cancer-friendly cells that protect the tumour from the immune system.

What the researchers discovered was that severe COVID infection causes the body to produce a special type of monocyte with unique anti-cancer properties. These “induced” monocytes are specifically trained to target the virus, but they also retain the ability to fight cancer cells.

To understand how this works, we need to look at the genetic material of the virus that causes COVID. The researchers found that these induced monocytes have a special receptor that binds well to a specific sequence of COVID RNA. Ankit Bharat, one of the scientists involved in this work from Northwestern University in Chicago explained this relationship using a lock-and-key analogy: “If the monocyte was a lock, and the COVID RNA was a key, then COVID RNA is the perfect fit.”

Remarkable

To test their theory, the research team conducted experiments on mice with various types of advanced (stage 4) cancers, including melanoma, lung, breast and colon cancer. They gave the mice a drug that mimicked the immune response to a severe COVID infection, inducing the production of these special monocytes. The results were remarkable. The tumours in the mice began to shrink across all four types of cancer studied.

Unlike regular monocytes, which can be converted by tumours into protective cells, these induced monocytes retained their cancer-fighting properties. They were able to migrate to the tumour sites – a feat that most immune cells cannot accomplish – and, once there, they activated natural killer cells. These killer cells then attacked the cancer cells, causing the tumours to shrink.

This mechanism is particularly exciting because it offers a new approach to fighting cancer that doesn’t rely on T cells, which are the focus of many current immunotherapy treatments.

While immunotherapy has shown promise, it only works in about 20% to 40% of cases, often failing when the body can’t produce enough functioning T cells. Indeed it’s thought that the reliance on T cell immunity is a major limitation of current immunotherapy approaches.

This new mechanism, by contrast, offers a way to selectively kill tumours that is independent of T cells, potentially providing a solution for patients who don’t respond to traditional immunotherapy.

It’s important to note that this study was conducted in mice, and clinical trials will be necessary to determine if the same effect occurs in humans.

Maybe aspects of this mechanism could work in humans and against other types of cancer as well, as it disrupts a common pathway that most cancers use to spread throughout the body.

While COVID vaccines are unlikely to trigger this mechanism (as they don’t use the full RNA sequence as the virus), this research opens up possibilities for developing new drugs and vaccines that could stimulate the production of these cancer-fighting monocytes.

Few would have imagined that there’d be an upside to COVID. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Trained immunity

The implications of this study extend beyond COVID and cancer. It shows how our immune system can be trained by one type of threat to become more effective against another. This concept, known as “trained immunity”, is an exciting area of research that could lead to new approaches for treating a wide range of diseases.

However, it’s crucial again to emphasise that this doesn’t mean people should seek out COVID infection as a way to fight cancer, and this is especially dangerous as I have described. Severe COVID can be life-threatening and has many serious long-term health consequences.

Instead, this research provides valuable insights that could lead to the development of safer, more targeted treatments in the future. As we continue to grapple with the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, new infections and long COVID, studies like this remind us of the importance of basic scientific research.

Even in the face of a global health crisis, researchers are finding ways to advance our understanding of human biology and disease. This work not only helps us combat the immediate threat of COVID, but also paves the way for breakthroughs in treating other serious conditions such as cancer.

While there’s still much work to be done before these findings can be translated into treatments for human patients, this study represents an exciting step forward in our understanding of the complex relationship between viruses, the immune system and cancer. It offers hope for new therapeutic approaches and underscores the often unexpected ways in which scientific discoveries can lead to medical breakthroughs.

Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Rare Disease Sheds Light on a Side Effect of Immunotherapy

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Squamous cancer cell being attacked by cytotoxic T cells. Image by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

A multinational collaboration co-led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has uncovered a potential explanation for why some cancer patients receiving a type of immunotherapy called checkpoint inhibitors experience increased susceptibility to common infections.

The findings, published in the journal Immunity, provide new insights into immune responses and reveal a potential approach to preventing the common cancer therapy side effect.

“Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies have revolutionised cancer treatment by allowing T cells to attack tumours and cancer cells more effectively. But this hasn’t been without side effects – one of which is that approximately 20% of cancer patients undergoing checkpoint inhibitor treatment experience an increased incidence of infections, a phenomenon that was previously poorly understood,” says Professor Stuart Tangye, co-senior author of the study and Head of the Immunology and Immunodeficiency Lab at Garvan.

“Our findings indicate that while checkpoint inhibitors boost anti-cancer immunity, they can also handicap B cells, which are the cells of the immune system that produce antibodies to protect against common infections. This understanding is a critical first step in understanding and reducing the side effects of this cancer treatment on immunity.”

Insights to improve immunotherapy

The researchers focused on the molecule PD-1, which acts as a ‘handbrake’ on the immune system, preventing overactivation of T cells. Checkpoint inhibitor therapies work by releasing this molecular ‘handbrake’ to enhance the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

The study, which was conducted in collaboration with Rockefeller University in the USA and Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, examined the immune cells of patients with rare cases of genetic deficiency of PD-1, or its binding partner PD-L1, as well as animal models lacking PD-1 signalling. The researchers found that impaired or absent PD-1 activity can significantly reduce the diversity and quality of antibodies produced by memory B cells – the long-lived immune cells that ‘remember’ past infections.

“We found that people born with a deficiency in PD-1 or PD-L1 have reduced diversity in their antibodies and fewer memory B cells, which made it harder to generate high-quality antibodies against common pathogens such as viruses and bacteria,” says Dr Masato Ogishi, first author of the study, from Rockefeller University.

Professor Tangye adds: “This dampening of the generation and quality of memory B cells could explain the increased rates of infection reported in patients with cancer receiving checkpoint inhibitor therapy.”

Co-author Dr Kenji Chamoto, from Kyoto University, says, “PD-1 inhibition has a ‘yin and yang’ nature: it activates anti-tumour immunity but at the same time impedes B-cell immunity. And this duality seems to stem from a conserved mechanism of immune homeostasis.”

New recommendation for clinicians

The researchers say the findings highlight the need for clinicians to monitor B cell function in patients receiving checkpoint inhibitors and point to preventative interventions for those at higher risk of infections.

Co-senior author Dr Stéphanie Boisson-Dupuis, from Rockefeller University, says, “Although PD-1 inhibitors have greatly improved cancer care, our findings indicate that clinicians need to be aware of the potential trade-off between enhanced anti-tumour immunity and impaired antibody-mediated immunity.”

“One potential preventative solution is immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT), an existing treatment used to replace missing antibodies in patients with immunodeficiencies, which could be considered as a preventative measure for cancer patients at higher risk of infections,” she says.

From rare cases to insights to benefit all

 “Studying cases of rare genetic conditions such as PD-1 or PD-L1 deficiency enables us to gain profound insights into how the human immune system normally works, and how our own manipulation of it can affect it. Thanks to these patients, we’ve found an avenue for fine-tuning cancer immunotherapies to maximise benefit while minimising harm,” says Professor Tangye.

Looking ahead, the researchers will explore ways to refine checkpoint inhibitor treatments to maintain their powerful anti-cancer effects while preserving the immune system’s ability to fight infections.

“This research highlights the potential for cancer, genomics and immunology research to inform one another, enabling discoveries that can benefit the broader population,” says Professor Tangye.

Professor Stuart Tangye is a Conjoint Professor at St Vincent’s Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney.

Source: Garvan Institute of Medical Research

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HealthONE Oncology: A New Era in Oncology

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As November highlights prostate cancer awareness, it’s important to remember that cancer is far more than mere statistics. It represents deeply personal journeys marked by uncertainty, fear and hope. With countless people facing a cancer diagnosis in their lifetimes, the call for human-centred and innovative care is more urgent than ever. It is imperative that we support individuals on this challenging journey, ensuring they receive the comprehensive care they deserve.

Leading this transformation is the HealthONE Oncology solution, created by Altron HealthTech in partnership with a leading Oncologist Dr. Ziad Seedat and supported by Dis-Chem Oncology. This innovative solution aims to redefine oncology care by streamlining processes and enhancing the treatment experience for both patients and healthcare providers.  Dr. Ziad Seedat, whose expertise as a dedicated advocate for cancer patients has significantly shaped the design and functionality of the platform. His insights ensure that the technology aligns with the real needs of both patients and healthcare practitioners. This has a positive knock-on impact throughout the healthcare ecosystem.

Timely treatment matters

Timely treatment is essential in the fight against cancer. Unfortunately, the healthcare system can be burdened by extensive approvals and administrative requirements, causing delays that can negatively impact patient outcomes. Research indicates that when cancer care is delayed or inaccessible there is a lower chance of survival, greater problems associated with treatment and higher costs of care.1

The HealthOne Oncology solution addresses these challenges by integrating patients’ medical histories, treatment plans and appointment schedules into one accessible platform.  Dis-Chem Oncology enhances this initiative by working with patients, doctors and medical aids to provide medication and supplies. The tailored support ensures that patients receive medication and support throughout their treatment journey. Their direct oncology pharmacies, providing specialised care and support for cancer patients on‑site at hospitals or private oncology practices, further enhances the value.

Innovative solutions with HealthOne

The HealthOne Oncology solution distinguishes itself through its thoughtful design, developed in consultation with clinicians, including Dr. Seedat. He emphasises the importance of minimising administrative burdens, stating, “Patients should focus on their care, not be overwhelmed by paperwork.” This philosophy is foundational to the platform, which integrates feedback from healthcare providers to address the unique challenges of cancer treatment.

HealthOne Oncology is an integrated electronic health records (EHR) platform that works seamlessly with the HealthOne Practice Management application, saving time and improving productivity. By enabling appointment scheduling, storing existing patient data, automating treatment plans and submitting backlogged claims from a centralised, user-friendly interface, HealthOne empowers practitioners to prioritise patient care. The platform also tracks medical aid authorisations, including treatment expiry dates, helping healthcare providers manage treatment timelines effectively. Standardisation and tracking is crucial; the application monitors every intervention, ensuring that each step in the patient’s journey is documented, including signatures for consent.

Addressing financial challenges

The financial burden of cancer treatment can be overwhelming.  In South Africa treatment costs vary significantly, influenced by factors such as the timing of diagnosis and the specific therapies needed.  Many patients experience substantial financial distress due to medical bills and other cancer associated costs, highlighting the urgent need for effective and affordable solutions to support those facing this challenge. 

The HealthOne Oncology platform aims to standardise workflows and clinical protocols to maintain quality care whilst improving efficiency and reducing costs.

The future of digital health in oncology

Looking ahead, the potential for digital health technologies in oncology is vast. By addressing barriers such as interoperability and complex workflows, the HealthOne Oncology platform aims to create a more cohesive, patient-centred model of care. This partnership between Altron HealthTech, Dis-Chem Oncology and the expertise of Dr Seedat marks a pivotal shift in cancer care, embracing innovation while prioritising patient well-being. In a world where cancer diagnoses are on the rise, the HealthOne Oncology platform is your partner in empowering healthcare providers to deliver exceptional care. Imagine transforming patient experiences, streamlining workflows and significantly reducing costs – all while ensuring that each patient’s journey through cancer is filled with hope, empowerment and improved outcomes.  For medical practitioners eager to elevate their practice and make a meaningful difference in the lives of their patients, adopting this innovative platform is not just a choice; it’s a game changer. Join us in the vital fight against cancer and be part of a brighter, more compassionate future for oncology care.

To read more about Altron HealthTech’s solutions, visit https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0dwmNR0

Sources

  1. Promoting cancer early diagnosis, World Health Organization ↩︎
Categories : Cancer New Compounds and TreatmentsTags :

New Therapy Approach Robs Cancer Cells of their Vital Copper

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© Wiley-VCH, Credit: Angewandte Chemie

While toxic in high concentrations, copper is essential to life as a trace element. Many tumours require significantly more copper than healthy cells for growth – something which new cancer treatments might exploit this. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research has now introduced a novel method by which copper is effectively removed from tumours cells, killing them.

Copper is an essential cofactor for a variety of enzymes that play a role in the growth and development of cells. For example, copper ions are involved in antioxidant defence. Cells very strictly regulate the concentration and availability of copper ions. On the one hand, enough copper ions must be on hand; on the other, the concentration of free copper ions in the cytoplasm must be kept very low to avoid undesired side effects. Extracellular, doubly charged copper ions are reduced to singly charged copper, transported into the cell, stored in pools, and transferred to the biomolecules that require them on demand. To maintain the cellular copper equilibrium (homeostasis), cells have developed clever trafficking systems that use a variety of transporters, ligands, chaperones (proteins that help other complex proteins to fold correctly), and co-chaperones.

Because cancer cells grow and multiply much more rapidly, they have a significantly higher need for copper ions. Restricting their access to copper ions could be a new therapeutic approach. The problem is that it has so far not been possible to develop drugs that bind copper ions with sufficient affinity to “take them away” from copper-binding biomolecules.

In cooperation with the Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford/CA, USA) and Goethe University Frankfurt/Main (Germany), Tanja Weil, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz) and her team have now successfully developed such a system. At the heart of their system are the copper-binding domains of the chaperone Atox1. The team attached a component to this peptide that promotes its uptake into tumour cells. An additional component ensures that the individual peptide molecules aggregate into nanofibres once they are inside the tumour cells. In this form, the fibre surfaces have many copper-binding sites in the right spatial orientation to be able to grasp copper ions from three sides with thiol groups (chelate complex). The affinity of these nanofibres for copper is so high that they also grab onto copper ions in the presence of copper-binding biomolecules. This drains the copper pools in the cells and deactivates the biomolecules that require copper. As a consequence, the redox equilibrium of the tumour cell is disturbed, leading to an increase in oxidative stress, which kills the tumour cell. In experiments carried out on cell cultures under special conditions, over 85% of a breast cancer cell culture died off after 72 hours while no cytotoxicity was observed for a healthy cell culture.

The research team hopes that some years in the future, these fundamental experiments will perhaps result in the development of useful methods for treating cancer.

Source: Wiley

Categories : Cancer New Compounds and TreatmentsTags :

New Anti-cancer Agent Works Without Oxygen

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Human colon cancer cells. Credit: National Cancer Institute

Tumours often contain areas of oxygen-deficient tissue that frequently withstand conventional therapies. This is because the drugs applied in tumours require oxygen to be effective. An international research team has developed a novel mechanism of action that works without oxygen: polymeric incorporated nanocatalysts target the tumour tissue selectively and switch off the glutathione that the cells need to survive. The team published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.

Why tumours shrink but don’t disappear

Study leader Dr Johannes Karges from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, explained: “As tumours grow very quickly, consume a lot of oxygen and their vascular growth can’t necessarily keep pace, they often contain areas that are poorly supplied with oxygen.” These areas, often in the centre of the tumour, frequently survive treatment with conventional drugs, so that the tumour initially shrinks but doesn’t disappear completely. This is because the therapeutic agents require oxygen to be effective. 

The mechanism of action developed by Karges’ team works without oxygen. “It’s a catalyst based on the element ruthenium, which oxidises the naturally present glutathione in the cancer cells and switches it off,” explains Karges. Glutathione is essential for the survival of cells and protects them from a wide range of different factors. If it ceases to be effective, the cell deteriorates. 

Compound accumulates in tumour tissue

All cells of the body need and contain glutathione. However, the catalyst has a selective effect on cancer cells as it is packaged in polymeric nanoparticles that accumulate specifically in the tumour tissue. Experiments on cancer cells and on mice with human tumours, that were considered incurable, proved successful. “These are encouraging results that need to be confirmed in further studies,” concludes Johannes Karges. “Still, there’s a lot of research work to be done before it can be used in humans.”

Source: Ruhr-University Bochum

Categories : Cancer New Compounds and TreatmentsTags :

Crop-destroying Fungus Yields a Potential Colorectal Cancer Treatment

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Plant fungus provides new drug with a new cellular target

Human colon cancer cells. Credit: National Cancer Institute

Novel chemical compounds from a fungus could provide new perspectives for treating colorectal cancer, one of the most common and deadliest cancers worldwide. The fungus, Bipolaris victoriae, is otherwise known as a fungal plant pathogen which in the 1940s caused the “Victoria blight”, decimating oats and similar grains in the US.

In the journal Angewandte Chemie, researchers reported on the isolation and characterisation of a previously unknown class of metabolites (terpene-nonadride heterodimers). One of these compounds effectively kills colorectal cancer cells by attacking the enzyme DCTPP1, which thus may serve as a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer and a therapeutic target.

Rather than using conventional cytostatic drugs, which have many side effects, modern cancer treatment frequently involves targeted tumour therapies directed at specific target molecules in the tumour cells. The prognosis for colorectal cancer patients remains grim however, demanding new targets and novel drugs.

Targeted tumour therapies are mostly based on small molecules from plants, fungi, bacteria, and marine organisms. About half of current cancer medications were developed from natural substances. A team led by Ninghua Tan, Yi Ma, and Zhe Wang at the China Pharmaceutical University (Nanjing, China) chose to use Bipolaris victoriae S27, a fungus that lives on plants, as the starting point in their search for new drugs.

The team first analysed metabolic products by cultivating the fungus under many different conditions (OSMAC method, one strain, many compounds). They discovered twelve unusual chemical structures belonging to a previously unknown class of compounds: terpene-nonadride heterodimers, molecules made from one terpene and one nonadride unit. Widely found in nature, terpenes are a large group of compounds with very varied carbon frameworks based on isoprene units. Nonadrides are nine-membered carbon rings with maleic anhydride groups. The monomers making up this class of dimers termed “bipoterprides” were also identified and were found to contain additional structural novelties (bicyclic 5/6-nonadrides with carbon rearrangements).

Nine of the bipoterprides were effective against colorectal cancer cells. The most effective was bipoterpride No. 2, which killed tumour cells as effectively as the classic cytostatic drug Cisplatin. In mouse models, it caused tumours to shrink with no toxic side effects.

The team used a variety of methods to analyse the drug’s mechanism: bipoterpride 2 inhibits dCTP-pyrophosphatase 1 (DCTPP1), an enzyme that regulates the cellular nucleotide pool. The heterodimer binds significantly more tightly than each of its individual monomers. The activity of DCTPP1 is elevated in certain types of tumours, promoting the invasion, migration, and proliferation of the cancer cells while also inhibiting programmed cell death. It can also help cancer cells to resist treatment. Bipoterpride 2 inhibits this enzymatic activity and disrupts the now pathologically altered amino acid metabolism in the tumour cells.

The team was thus able to identify DCTPP1 as a new target for the treatment of colorectal cancer and bipoterprides as new potential drug candidates.

Source: Wiley

Categories : CancerTags :

New Trial of Drug Shows Promise in Combating Cancer-caused Cachexia

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Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

Researchers discovered a drug that safely and effectively helped cancer patients when they suffered from cachexia, a common condition related to cancer that involves weight loss and muscle wasting.

The results of the randomised phase 2 clinical trial, which included 187 individuals who experienced cachexia with pancreatic (32%), colorectal (29%) or non–small-cell lung (40%) cancer, appear in the New England Journal of Medicine.  Richard Dunne, MD, MS, a Wilmot Cancer Institute oncologist and cachexia expert was part of the large group of investigators who ran the nationwide clinical trial.

Cachexia involves loss of appetite and weight, muscle-wasting, fatigue, and weakness. It affects more than 50% of people who have cancer, and currently there are no FDA-approved treatments.

Scientists discovered that the monoclonal antibody ponsegromab blocks a hormone known as GDF-15 that regulates appetite and body weight. The patients in the trial had elevated levels of GDF-15, a primary driver of cachexia, and ponsegromab improved many aspects of cachexia and its symptoms.

Patients were randomised to receive ponsegromab at doses of 100mg, 200mg, or 400 mg, or to receive placebo. At 12 weeks, patients in the ponsegromab groups had significantly greater weight gain than those in the placebo group, with a median between-group difference of 1.22 kg in the 100mg group, 1.92 in the 200mg group, and 2.81 in the 400mg group. Improvements were observed across measures of appetite and cachexia symptoms, along with physical activity, in the 400mg ponsegromab group relative to placebo.

Drugmaker Pfizer supported the study, and released this news. Side effects were minimal, Dunne said, and in fact ponsegromab appeared to be safer than common appetite stimulants used by cachexia patients.

“This is super exciting,” said Dunne, an associate professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “This study is an important step in providing treatment for the hundreds of thousands of patients who suffer from poor quality of life due to cachexia.”

Several academic medical centres participated in the clinical research, which was led by John D. Groarke, MB, BCh, MPH, at Pfizer. Investigators are continuing to study GDF-15 and the importance of the biomarker in several types of cancer. Other clinical trials are also testing additional cachexia treatments that do not target the GDF-15 pathway.

Source: University of Rochester Medical Center

Categories : Cancer New Compounds and TreatmentsTags :

Novel Glass-based Bone Cancer Therapy has a 99% Success Rate

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Bioactive glasses, a filling material which can bond to tissue and improve the strength of bones and teeth, has been combined with gallium to create a potential treatment for bone cancer. Tests in labs have found that bioactive glasses doped with the metal have a 99% success rate of eliminating cancerous cells and can even regenerate diseased bones.

The research was conducted by a team of Aston University scientists led by Professor Richard Martin at the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

In laboratory tests 99% of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) cells were killed off without destroying non-cancerous normal human bone cells. The researchers also incubated the bioactive glasses in a simulated body fluid and after seven days they detected the early stages of bone formation. 

Gallium is highly toxic, and the researchers found that the ‘greedy’ cancer cells soak it up and self-kill, which prevented the healthy cells from being affected. Their research appears in the journal Biomedical Materials.

Osteosarcoma is the mostly commonly occurring primary bone cancer and despite the use of chemotherapy and surgery to remove tumours survival rates have not improved much since the 1970s. Survival rates are dramatically reduced for patients who have a recurrence and primary bone cancer patients are more susceptible to bone fractures. 

Despite extensive research on different types of bioactive glass or ceramics for bone tissue engineering, there is limited research on targeted and controlled release of anti-cancer agents to treat bone cancers.

Professor Martin said: “There is an urgent need for improved treatment options and our experiments show significant potential for use in bone cancer applications as part of a multimodal treatment.

“We believe that our findings could lead to a treatment that is more effective and localised, reducing side effects, and can even regenerate diseased bones.

“When we observed the glasses, we could see the formation of a layer of amorphous calcium phosphate/ hydroxy apatite layer on the surface of the bioactive glass particulates, which indicates bone growth.”
The glasses were created in the Aston University labs by rapidly cooling very high temperature molten liquids (1450°C) to form glass. The glasses were then ground and sieved into tiny particles which can then be used for treatment.  

In previous research the team achieved a 50% success rate but although impressive, this was not enough to be a potential treatment. The team are now hoping to attract more research funding to conduct trials using gallium.

Dr Lucas Souza, research laboratory manager for the Dubrowsky Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham worked on the research with Professor Martin. He added: “The safety and effectiveness of these biomaterials will need to be tested further, but the initial results are really promising.

“Treatments for a bone cancer diagnosis remain very limited and there’s still much we don’t understand. Research like this is vital to support in the development of new drugs and new methodologies for treatment options.”

Source: Aston University

Categories : CancerTags :

Breakthrough Collaboration between Public and Private Sectors Points the Way for National Health

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Photo by Anna Shvets

As debate rages around the feasible application of NHI on a national scale, seemingly ad infinitum, the escalating cancer crisis in South Africa underscores the need for immediate action on the ground. Recent reports shed light on the distressing reality that individuals diagnosed with cancer, dependent on an overburdened public health system, often face extended waiting periods or impossible distances that prevent them from accessing life-saving treatment.

Yet in the Northern Cape, a remarkable success story has quietly unfolded over the last five years, impacting the lives of hundreds of cancer patients and demonstrating that the way to bring better health to the public on a macro scale may be to focus on practical micro solutions that, once proven, can be replicated around the country.

It arises out of a collaboration between the Northern Cape Department of Health, Kimberley’s Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital and private sector oncology service provider, Icon Oncology, with the shared goal of delivering the best possible care for patients needing radiotherapy services – which were previously far from home.

Jennifer Fuller, Regional Manager for Icon Oncology explains: “The average radiotherapy treatment journey spans between two to six weeks. Previously, the profound socio-economic and psycho-social toll of Northern Cape patients traveling far from their homes and families was immeasurable. During this period there was no radiation facility in the province, so patients had to travel to Bloemfontein for treatment. We collaborated with the Department of Health to treat radiation patients here in the Northern Cape. The result is a true example of how government and the private sector can work together when there is a shared focus on patient outcomes.”

Today, the province provides transport from far-off areas for treatment at Icon’s radiotherapy facility in Kimberley. If needed, accommodation is provided by the RMS Hospital for the duration of the radiotherapy treatment, which can sometimes last for six weeks.

Watch the video on Icon Oncology’s success story in the Northern Cape

Since the implementation of the project in October 2019, 511 cancer patients have completed radiation treatment. Previously all these patients would have had to travel to Bloemfontein to receive treatment. 

“It’s a major success”, says Dr Alastair Kantani, Clinical Manager for hospital services in the Northern Cape. “It’s actually more than a success; it’s a lifesaving partnership. Personally, as a clinician, I’m proud of the fact that we, as a tertiary hospital, can give access to therapy services. Since this partnership, we’ve saved a lot of lives.”

Dr Esme Olivier, acting CEO of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital says, “For me this collaboration between Icon and the Department of Health, specifically this hospital, is one of the best things that could happen for the sake of our oncology patients.”

“This is truly a complete collaboration” adds Fuller. “It shows that it can work – and I do believe that this can be replicated further into other provinces.”

Dr Olivier agrees: “I would really encourage every province to get involved with this. Even if they have their own radiation therapy units, just the collaboration and the expertise that Icon brings on board – they can even assist with nursing, whatever need there is that is not immediately available in public hospitals.”

Governance is key and monthly meetings are held between the two management teams to discuss patient experience, statistics, billing and other operational matters.

“This has resulted in continuous improvement of the project delivery over the past five years.  This sharing of responsibility has led to the development of a very strong relationship and the interdependence has meant both parties have worked hard to make sure it works,” says Dr Olivier.

How it works – the patient journey:

  • The patient journey starts at the tertiary state facility, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, where the resident oncologist will consult with the patient once diagnosed by a surgeon or radiologist.  If radiotherapy is indicated, the patient is referred to the Icon Radiotherapy unit in Kimberley.

  • A planning CT-scan is done by an Icon radiotherapist at Robert Magaliso Sobukwe Hospital
  • The treating oncologist and the Icon planning department, draws a plan on the CT-scan to determine the dose and area of radiotherapy that the patient will receive, using a sophisticated, state of the art planning system. The oncologist can access Icon’s planning system remotely and can do this work from anywhere.
  • This constitutes a 15 min radiotherapy session every day on Icon’s linear accelerator, until the required dose is delivered, and treatment is completed. 

“The Northern Cape initiative exemplifies the potential inherent in bridging the gap between public and private healthcare sectors. It showcases how collaboration can transcend obstacles and provide specialised healthcare services and treatment to all citizens. As the country grapples with the challenges and concerns raised by the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, this collaborative achievement stands as a testament that the seemingly daunting task of implementing universal healthcare coverage can indeed be navigated. We must commend the vision of the Northern Cape DoH, management from the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital and all other stakeholders who have made this project such a success,” explains Dr Ernst Marais, COO of Icon Oncology. 

“It is through collaborations like this one, that we excel in providing the best possible treatment to our patients. Like Hellen Keller said: ‘Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much’,” concludes Dr Olivier.

Categories : CancerTags :

A New Way to Kill Cancer Cells via Ferroptosis

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Human colon cancer cells. Credit: National Cancer Institute

In a first, a team in Germany has produced a substance capable of sending cancer cells into ferroptosis, a form of cell death discovered only in recent years. This could pave the way for the development of new drugs.

Conventional cancer drugs work by triggering apoptosis, that is programmed cell death, in tumour cells. However, tumour cells have the ability to develop strategies to escape apoptosis, rendering the drugs ineffective. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a research team from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, describes a new mechanism of action that kills cancer cells through ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is another form of programmed cell death that wasn’t discovered until the 2010s. The Bochum group synthesised a metal complex, demonstrated its effectiveness in cell cultures and on microtumours and identified the chemical processes underlying the mechanism of action.

Two types of programmed cell death

In programmed cell death, certain signaling molecules initiate a kind of suicide program to cause cells to die in a controlled manner. This is an essential step to eliminate damaged cells or to control the number of cells in certain tissues, for example. Apoptosis has long been known as a mechanism for programmed cell death. Ferroptosis is another mechanism that has recently been discovered which, in contrast to other cell death mechanisms, is characterised by the accumulation of lipid peroxides. This process is typically catalysed by iron which is where the name ferroptosis derives from.

“Searching for an alternative to the mechanism of action of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, we specifically looked for a substance capable of triggering ferroptosis,” explains Johannes Karges. His group synthesized a cobalt-containing metal complex that accumulates in the mitochondria of cells and generates reactive oxygen species, more precisely hydroxide radicals. These radicals attack polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in the formation of large quantities of lipid peroxides, which in turn trigger ferroptosis. The team was thus the first to produce a cobalt complex designed to specifically trigger ferroptosis.

Effectiveness demonstrated on artificial microtumours

The researchers from Bochum used a variety of cancer cell lines to show that the cobalt complex induces ferroptosis in tumour cells. On top of that, the substance slowed down the growth of artificially produced microtumours .

“We are confident that the development of metal complexes that trigger ferroptosis is a promising new approach for cancer treatment,” as Johannes Karges sums up the research, adding: “However, there’s still a long way to go before our studies result in a drug.” The metal complex must first prove effective in animal studies and clinical trials. What’s more, the substance doesn’t currently selectively target tumour cells, but would also attack healthy cells. This means that researchers must first find a way to package the cobalt complex in such a way that it damages nothing but tumour cells.

Source: Ruhr-University Bochum