A new injectable ‘biogel’ is effective in delivering anti-cancer agents directly into cancerous tumours and killing them. This technology, developed by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM)in Canada, has already been successfully tested in the laboratory. 

“The strength of this biogel is that it is compatible with anti-cancer immune cells. It is used to encapsulate these cells and eventually administer them using a syringe or catheter into the tumour or directly beside it. Instead of injecting these cells or anti-cancer drugs throughout the entire body via the bloodstream, we can treat the cancer locally. We hope that this targeted approach will improve current immunotherapies,” said Dr Réjean Lapointe, a researcher at the CRCHUM and associate professor at the Department of Medicine, University of Montreal. 

The compound is made from chitosane, a biodegradable material extracted from the shells of crustaceans, to which gelling agents are added. The formulation is liquid at room temperature, which facilitates its injection, but quickly takes on a cohesive and resistant structure at 37 degrees Celcius (human body temperature). The biogel was successfully tested in several in vitro models, including melanoma and kidney cancer. “The T lymphocytes in the gel are functional and can grow for two to three weeks, be released from the gel, and kill the cancerous cells,” said Dr Lapointe. The next step is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the biogel in animals and humans. If successful, this biogel could be added to current cancer therapies in a few years.