According to a news release issued by Osaka University last month, scientists have shown that a certain type of tiny worm known as nematodes may destroy cancer cells. To do this, hydrogel-based “sheaths” that may later be modified to convey functional payload must be applied to the worms (cancer-killing substances).
A marine-dwelling worm that seeks out cancer cells
One of these types of nematodes is the Anisakis simplex, a microscopic marine-dwelling creature that is particularly fond of cancer cells.
“Anisakis simplex has been reported to sense cancer, potentially by detecting cancer “odor,” and to attach to cancerous tissues,” Wildan Mubarok, first author of the study, said in the statement. “This led us to ask whether it could be used to deliver anti-cancer treatments directly to cancer cells within the human body.”
The researchers decided to investigate a system for applying hydrogel sheaths to nematodes in order to create a gel-like layer all over their bodies that would protect them against the cancer-killing substances they would be equipped to carry. The end results were nematodes fitted with a suit about 0.01 mm thick. Even cooler, the whole process only took 20 minutes.
“The results were very clear,” says Shinji Sakai, senior author of the study. “The sheaths did not in any way interfere with the worms’ survival and were flexible enough to maintain the worms’ motility and natural ability to seek out attractive smells and chemical signals.”
Anti-cancer agents delivered directly to cancer cells
Next, the researchers experimented with applying anti-cancer agents to the nematodes. Typically, this may be harmful to the parasitic worms, but in this case, the creatures were protected by their hydrogel armor. The scientists found that the newly-engineered worm could then transport and deliver the anti-cancer agents in order to kill cancer cells in vitro.
“Our findings suggest that nematodes could potentially be used to deliver functional cargo to a range of specific targets in the future,” states Mubarok. “Given the adaptability of the hydrogel sheaths, this worm-based delivery system holds promise not only for delivering anti-cancer drugs to tumor cells in patients, but it also has potential applications in other fields such as delivering beneficial bacteria to plant roots.”
The research is still in its early stages and may encounter several issues during development. There is the fact that many people will not want parasitic worms in their systems. There is also the issue of how to control the creatures once they have been administered to the human body. Still, in terms of cancer treatments, it offers hope of a new and effective solution.
The study was published in the journal Science Direct.
