Using vegetables and polymers to deliver cancer therapeutics

New approaches to deliver cancer therapeutics have been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Innovative cancer research has been given a boost of over $4 million with two AIBN researchers awarded NHMRC Investigator grants.

Polymer chemist Dr Changkui Fu is developing a new delivery system for cancer immunotherapy and Dr Run Zhang is using nano-sonosensitizers derived from food to create an entirely new treatment approach.

Both researchers are driven by a shared goal: to improve cancer treatment and make a meaningful difference for patients. 

Can vegetables cure cancer?

Dr Zhang is determined to make cancer treatment as safe as possible, non-invasive and without side effects.

He is developing reliable and biocompatible nano-sonosensitizers derived from food.

These are activated by ultrasound waves to produce highly reactive oxygen species that damage vital components of the cancer cells.

“Sourcing materials from food helps ensure the treatment is as safe as possible."

This new approach is built on the same principle as many standard cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which also use oxidation to kill cancer cells.

The advantage of using ultrasound is that it can travel deep into the body, targeting tumours more than 7cm below the surface, such as liver cancer.

“With this funding I will collect, extract, and screen different types of foods like vegetable and fruits and botanical leaves that are rich of natural pigments (e.g., chlorophyll, carotenoids, cyanins) and develop a library of the best food grade nano-sonosensitizers,” Dr Zhang said.

In parallel, Dr Zhang is developing a sensor capable of tracking changes in chemical activity within the tumour microenvironment during the treatment.

This system provides real-time insight into treatment progress and helps determine the optimal timing for continuing or ending therapy.

This funding will support the development of food-based nano-sonosensitisers in non-invasive ultrasound-based therapy, advancing their translation toward clinical trials tailored for deep-seated tumours.

“Although these nano-sonosensitizers are currently delivered by injection, my vision is to one day make cancer treatment as simple as eating it."

Smart delivery for cancer therapy

Dr Fu is tackling a formidable challenge in his field, engineering advanced delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy.

He develops lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to deliver the mRNA molecules to organs such as our spleen – critical for generating immune responses during immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy takes advantage of our immune system, using mRNA that encodes tumour antigens to provoke an immune response from our bodies to fight back against cancer.

Its success depends on getting mRNA into the right cells, but this is difficult because mRNA is a large, negatively charged molecule that cannot readily cross the cell membrane.

Traditionally, polyethylene glycol (PEG) is an essential stabiliser in LNPs, named a ‘stealth’ polymer due to its ability to evade detection by the immune system, allowing LNPs to circulate longer in the bloodstream.

However, the generation of anti-PEG antibodies and unwanted immune responses to PEG have been reported, which is particularly an issue for cancer sufferers receiving repeated drug doses.

“Once we have anti-PEG antibodies in our body, our immune system recognises the PEG- LNPs and the effectiveness of the therapy is much reduced, or worse the patient could have an immune reaction.

“PEG is not only in nanoparticles, but also in cosmetics – shampoos, face creams, toothpaste, cleaning products, pharmaceuticals and food additives, there are many opportunities for the body to be exposed to it,” Dr Fu said.

“I am developing new polymer structures as alternatives to PEG, designing next generation LNPs less likely to trigger unwanted immune responses and enhancing delivery to the spleen or tumour tissue.”

Dr Fu said that this funding is vital to drive this technology forward and address these pressing challenges in cancer therapy.

“And in the future, the goal is to move towards personalised cancer therapies by matching mRNA to the unique antigens on each tumour, so treatment is designed for each person’s cancer, not a one-size-fits-all approach.”