Light-controlled molecular switch wakes lung cancer cells for treatment
· News-MedicalResearchers from ETH Zurich have developed a molecular switch that is controlled by light. It wakes lung cancer cells up from a protective dormant state so that they are more accessible for treatment.
Light restricts impact to tumor
Tagging ensures rapid disposal of receptors
Lung cancer cells woken from sleep in the lab
The aim is to apply this switch in high-precision localized cancer treatment. To this end, it is injected into the tumor, and light is then used to specifically turn off all switches that migrate from the tumor into the healthy tissue.
Robin Scheuplein, joint first author of the publicationActivity can therefore be strictly limited to the tumor core, preserving the surrounding tissue and causing significantly fewer side effects. The effect is reversible and can be controlled precisely."
Applications in breast and prostate cancer
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