Toxic Glass Kills 99% of Bone Cancer, Spares Healthy Cells

New Treatment for Bone Cancer Shows Promise

Scientists have revealed a potential new treatment for bone cancer. A bioactive glass infused with a toxic metal was able to kill up to 99% of cancer cells without harming healthy ones, and it could even help regrow healthy bone.

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer, and treatment usually involves surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. However, it often recurs at the same site, and when it does, the prognosis is usually poor.

Bioactive Glass as a Cancer Treatment

Now, scientists at Aston University have proposed a new method for treating osteosarcoma. It uses a material called bioactive glass, made of glass nanoparticles mixed with metals, which has already shown potential in antibacterial dental fillings and bone implants.

This time, the metal in question was gallium, which is toxic to cells. Putting that in your bones might sound risky, but gallium ions enter cells through a specific receptor that is highly elevated in cancer cells. This means that the cancer cells absorb the metal before healthy bone cells can.

Lab Results Show High Success Rate

In lab tests, the researchers cultured healthy bone cells alongside osteosarcoma cells and treated them with the gallium-infused bioactive glass. After 10 days, the glass with 5% gallium oxide was able to kill 99% of the osteosarcoma cells without affecting the healthy bone cells.

These bioactive glasses also show promise in regenerating bone. When placed in simulated body fluid, new bone formation began to appear within a week.

“When we observed the glass, we saw the formation of an amorphous calcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite layer on the surface of the bioactive glass particles, indicating bone growth,” said Professor Richard Martin, the study’s lead author.

Unfortunately, the concentrations of gallium oxide required to kill cancer cells also inhibit the regeneration of healthy bone cells. However, this challenge may be overcome with further research using animal models.

Next Steps in Research

Dr. Lucas Souza, co-author of the study, emphasized that while the safety and effectiveness of these biomaterials require further testing, the initial results are highly promising. He explained that the next steps involve testing the material’s anti-cancer properties on bone metastatic cells and creating a minimally invasive injectable paste for treating bone cancer.

Read the original Article: New Atlas

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