An international research team has found a new cancer treatment method. They use nutrients to activate blocked metabolic pathways in cancer cells. They tested tyrosine on melanoma, an amino acid in a nanomedicine form. This slowed cancer growth effectively.
Australia, known for having the world’s highest skin cancer rates, may benefit from a new treatment approach. Researchers led by Professor Wenbo Bu of Fudan University and Distinguished Professor Dayong Jin of the University of Technology Sydney developed a method to enhance melanoma treatment.
Their study, “Nutrient-delivery and metabolism reactivation therapy for melanoma,” published in Nature Nanotechnology, involves using nanotechnology to deliver tyrosine, an amino acid with limited bioavailability, to cancer cells.
This approach reactivates dormant metabolic pathways, stimulates melanin production, and inhibits tumor growth in mice and human-derived melanoma cells in lab tests. The technique shows promise for treating other types of cancer as well.
Different cancers respond to other nutrients. Melanoma, which develops from melanocytes producing melanin, benefits from tyrosine because it promotes melanin production. This process reduces glycolysis, the sugar-to-energy conversion crucial for cancer cells.
Melanoma cells are sensitive to heat stress, and combining tyrosine nanomicelle treatment with near-infrared laser therapy eliminated melanoma in mice within six days, preventing recurrence. These results indicate a promising approach using nanomedicine in cancer treatment.
In conclusion, using targeted nutrients like tyrosine shows promise in fighting cancer, particularly melanoma. This approach offers a new avenue for effective cancer treatment by reactivating melanin production and disrupting cancer cell metabolism. Combining nutrient-based therapies with innovative treatments like near-infrared laser therapy presents a hopeful direction in advancing cancer therapy using nanomedicine.
Journal reference:
- Chen, Y., Wang, C., Wu, Y. et al. Nutrient-delivery and metabolism reactivation therapy for melanoma. Nature Nanotechnology. DOI:10.1038/s41565-024-01690-6.