Hydrogel developed for targeted breast cancer therapy

IIT-G and Bose Institute develop advanced injectable hydrogel for precise cancer treatment, minimizing side effects on healthy cells.

GUWAHATI

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) and the Bose Institute, Kolkata have developed an advanced injectable hydrogel for localised cancer treatment.

A statement issued by the IIT-G said this hydrogel serves as a stable reservoir for anti-cancer drugs, releasing it in a controlled manner while sparing healthy cells from harm.

The findings of the research, expected to be revolutionary for breast cancer therapy, have been published in Materials Horizons, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The paper is co-authored by Debapratim Das along with his research scholars Tanushree Das and Ritvika Kushwaha from IIT-G’s Department of Chemistry, and Kuldip Jana, Satyajit Halder, and Anup Kumar Misra from Bose Institute, Kolkata.

“Current treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgical interventions, often have severe limitations. Surgical removal of tumours is sometimes not feasible, particularly for internal organs. At the same time, chemotherapy’s systemic delivery often results in harmful side effects by affecting both cancerous and healthy cells,” the researchers said in the statement.

The team addressed these challenges by designing a hydrogel that delivers drugs precisely to the tumour site, ensuring localised action.

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.