New cancer treatment inspired by latte foam, gummy bears

Researchers at the University of Iowa are developing novel, biocompatible materials that could enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer. These materials were inspired by the foam on top of lattes, as well as gummy bears and Pop Rocks sweets. The new materials are known as gas-entrapping materials, or GeMs, which can be formulated as foams, solids, or hydrogels, and are designed to carry high concentrations of a variety of therapeutic gases directly into tissues, including tumors. In a new study, published Feb. 2 in the journal Advanced Science, researchers led by James Byrne, MD, PhD, Jianling Bi, PhD, at the UI, used GeMs to deliver high levels of oxygen directly into tumors. The study showed that this improved the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy and radiation treatments in mouse models of prostate cancer and a type of sarcoma. In addition to Byrne, Bi and their colleagues at the UI, the study was a multi-institutional effort involving researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School.