In a multi-institutional research led by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Bose Institute KolkataAn advanced injectable hydrogel has been developed for localized cancer treatment. This innovative Hydrogel-Based Therapy Delivers anti-cancer drugs directly to tumor sites, significantly reducing the side effects typically associated with conventional cancer treatments.

The findings of this research have been published in the journal Materials Horizons of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Co-author of this paper is Prof. Debpratim Das, his research scholars are Ms. Tanushree Das and Ms. Ritwika Kushwaha. IIT Guwahatiand colleagues Dr. Kuldeep Jana, Mr. Satyajit Halder, and Mr. Anup Kumar Mishra from the Bose Institute Kolkata.

Cancer remains a serious global health challenge, affecting millions of patients worldwide. Current treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgical interventions, often have severe limitations. Surgical removal of tumors is sometimes not possible, especially for internal organs, while systemic delivery of chemotherapy often results in harmful side effects by affecting both cancerous and healthy cells.

Professor Debpratim Das of the Department of Chemistry at IIT Guwahati and his team addressed these challenges by designing a hydrogel that precisely delivers drugs to the tumor site while ensuring local action.

Hydrogels are water-based, three-dimensional polymer networks capable of absorbing and retaining fluids. Their unique structure mimics living tissues, making them suitable for biomedical applications. This newly developed hydrogel acts as a stable reservoir for anticancer drugs and releases them in a controlled manner, responding to specific conditions in the tumor microenvironment.

The hydrogel, composed of ultra-short peptides – biocompatible and biodegradable building blocks of proteins – is designed to remain insoluble in biological fluids, ensuring that it remains localized to the injection site. It responds to increased glutathione (GSH) levels, a molecule found in abundance in tumor cells. When encountering high GSH levels, the hydrogel releases a controlled drug directly into the tumor, minimizing its interaction with healthy tissues and reducing systemic side effects.

Speaking about this breakthrough, Professor Debapratim Das, Department of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati, said, “This work exemplifies how scientific innovation can directly address the urgent needs of cancer treatment. The unique properties of hydrogel allow it to work in harmony with the biological environment, providing precision where it is needed most. We are excited by its potential to change the way we think about localized drug delivery.

In preclinical trials on murine models breast cancerThe hydrogel demonstrated remarkable efficacy. An injection of a hydrogel loaded with the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin resulted in a 75 percent reduction in tumor size within 18 days. Importantly, the hydrogel remained localized to the tumor site, allowing sustained release of the drug over time without causing detectable side effects on other organs.

This innovative delivery system increases the effectiveness of the drug while reducing the dose required, thereby reducing toxicity. Laboratory studies have shown that the hydrogel improves drug absorption by cancer cells, induces cell cycle arrest, and promotes programmed cell death, thereby attacking the tumor on multiple fronts.

“Further studies are underway to determine the maximum reduction in tumor size from a single dose. Additionally, we are also looking at other types of tumors. Once all the studies are completed, I will apply to take the material for clinical trials and am looking for a suitable partner to do so,” he said.

Get the latest news live on Times Now with breaking news and top headlines from health and around the world.