Prof. Agata Mikołajczyk-Martinez from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences is developing a method for treating peritoneal cancers that combines hyperthermia with gas dehydration. This therapeutic approach could prove groundbreaking for treating these cancers, which are highly resistant to standard therapies.
Peritoneal cancers pose a particularly challenging clinical problem and, due to their specificity, are not a popular subject of scientific research. Unlike cancers such as breast or colon cancer, peritoneal cancers usually result from metastases, making their treatment more complex and requiring advanced technology.
In this context, Prof. Agata Mikołajczyk-Martinez’s research from the UPWr Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is invaluable. – The difficulty in treating these cancers lies in the fact that systemic chemotherapy is ineffective because the blood-peritoneal barrier prevents chemotherapeutic drugs from reaching therapeutic levels in the abdominal cavity – explains Prof. Mikołajczyk-Martinez. Additionally, peritoneal tumors often spread to the point where surgical removal becomes impossible. This challenge has necessitated the development of alternative therapeutic methods that deliver drugs directly to the peritoneal cavity.
One of the most commonly used methods is HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy), which involves administering heated chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity. This technique allows for more effective destruction of cancer cells, as combining chemotherapy with high temperature promotes better tumor reduction. However, HIPEC is not available to all patients, as its effectiveness depends on the number and size of tumors.
In cases where patients do not qualify for HIPEC, an alternative method – PIPAC (Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy) – is used, involving the administration of chemotherapy in aerosol form. – PIPAC is a less invasive method that allows for prolonged patient survival but unfortunately still does not offer a complete cure – says Prof. Mikołajczyk-Martinez, emphasizing that this method has an additional advantage – it causes significantly fewer side effects than other methods, making it safer for patients with advanced peritoneal cancers. Although research on this method is promising, further innovations are needed to improve treatment efficacy.
Since 2018, Prof. Agata Mikołajczyk-Martinez has been collaborating with Prof. Veria Khosrawipour on new methods for treating peritoneal cancers. Their joint work has included testing the potential of using liposomes that can be activated by ultrasound in selected locations, enabling precise drug delivery to where it is most needed. This approach aims to reduce side effects and improve efficacy. As Prof. Mikołajczyk-Martinez explains: – Liposomes, administered as an aerosol, can be activated by ultrasound where they are most needed, which enhances their effectiveness and minimizes damage to healthy tissues.
In further collaboration, they tested the possibility of adding an untested therapeutic factor, dehydration, to the existing hyperthermia and chemotherapy. This method involves temporarily dehydrating and heating cancer cells before administering chemotherapy, increasing drug permeability and effectiveness. – We observed that combining dehydration with hyperthermia yields promising results on cell lines. This prompted me to develop a plan for further research and apply for a grant, which I successfully received under the LIDER XIII (NCBiR) program – explains Prof. Agata Mikołajczyk-Martinez.
Initial tests have been conducted on in vitro models, and the research team is now working on a prototype device that will enable this procedure to be tested in animal models. This will allow for verification of the effectiveness and safety of the innovative method.
Prof. Agata Mikołajczyk-Martinez’s work opens up new possibilities for treating peritoneal cancers, which were previously considered almost incurable. – Our goal is to develop a therapy that not only extends patients’ lives but gives them a real chance at recovery – emphasizes the researcher.
Source:
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
Nauka w Polsce
