Targeted radionuclide therapy, or TRT, focuses radiation on tumors, leaving healthy cells alone. Clinicians accomplish this by linking a radionuclide to a molecule that binds only certain cancer cell epitopes.
Unfortunately, many tumors lack these epitopes. Now, a study published March 13 in Advanced Healthcare Materials finds that anaerobic bacteria living inside many different types of tumors can act as a target for molecules called radionuclides that emit cell-killing energy, which could potentially allow TRT to be used against a much wider variety of cancers.
“Though effective, [TRT’s] expanded use is limited by the lack of tumor-specific targeting of the radionuclides,” writes cancer biologist Corey Speers at the University of Michigan in an email to The Scientist. “Though these are preliminary studies only in animal models, this treatment approach may limit off-target side effects and demonstrates promise that warrants further evaluation.”
Radiation therapy has historically been administered from the outside ...
