Revolutionary Cancer Therapy Emerges From CO-Infused Foam Study
Smokers in a cancer trial thrived, leading researchers to develop a drinkable CO foam that boosts an experimental therapy in mice and human cells. This novel approach could pave the way for improved cancer treatment in future clinical trials.
By Richard Cole · January 15, 2024
Researchers at the University of Iowa have discovered a potential game-changer for cancer treatment, inspired by an unexpected clue – smokers’ response to an experimental therapy. Their weapon of choice? A drinkable foam infused with carbon monoxide, designed to boost the power of a promising, yet currently inconsistent, treatment known as autophagy inhibition.
Autophagy inhibition targets the cell’s own recycling system, aiming to starve cancer cells by blocking their internal cleanup process. While early clinical trials showed initial promise, many patients saw little benefit, leaving researchers scratching their heads. Then came the intriguing observation: in two prior studies, smokers receiving autophagy inhibitors seemed to do significantly better than their non-smoking counterparts.
James Byrne, MD, PhD, the lead author of the study, and his team delved deeper into the unexpected correlation and found that smoking, which is associated with elevated carbon monoxide levels, might be influencing the effectiveness of autophagy inhibitors. Carbon monoxide, a gas molecule, is believed to increase autophagy in cells, potentially enhancing the anti-cancer effects of the inhibitors.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers developed a unique “platform” — a drinkable foam infused with carbon monoxide. This foam, crafted from gas-entrapping materials (GEMs), demonstrated promising results in reducing tumor growth and progression in mice with pancreatic and prostate cancers when combined with autophagy inhibitors.
The study extended its impact to human cancer cells, showing a significant anti-cancer effect in prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancer cells when treated with the combination of carbon monoxide and autophagy inhibitors.
"The results from this study support the idea that safe, therapeutic levels of CO, which we can deliver using GEMs, can increase the anti-cancer activity of autophagy inhibitors, opening a promising new approach that might improve therapies for many different cancers,"
James Byrne envisions translating these findings into human clinical trials, emphasizing the potential of safe therapeutic levels of carbon monoxide delivered through GEMs to enhance the anti-cancer activity of autophagy inhibitors. The research team’s interdisciplinary collaboration included scientists from MIT, Harvard Medical School, University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Oregon Health and Science University.
The results from this study open up a promising new avenue for improving cancer therapies, offering hope for more effective treatments across a range of cancers. As the research progresses, the integration of carbon monoxide-infused foam could become a transformative addition to cancer treatment strategies.