New 'smart cancer drug' designed to 'switch on' may replace chemotherapy, says govt

In a major breakthrough for cancer treatment in India, the government on Thursday announced a "smart" cancer drug that can replace the traditional chemotherapy which, it said, has been found to harm healthy cells while attacking the cancer cells in the human body.Chemotherapy, the current cancer treatment procedure, is known to damage healthy cells alongside the cancer cells in many cases. (Photo for representation) (Unsplash)The government said the ‘smart’ cancer drug has been designed to switch on and work only inside cancer cells, sparing the healthy cells from damage.Also read: Moderna stock jumps 120% after cancer vaccine trial win: What investors need to know“Cancer treatment often damages healthy cells along with cancer cells, causing significant associated adverse effects and side effects. This has created a need for targeted therapies that remain inactive in normal tissues while it travels through the body and become activated specifically at tumor sites,” the government said in a statement.It said the smart cancer drug, named RK-251, was formulated after collaborative research led by Dr Asis Bala from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), and Dr KP Bhabak of Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati.How the smart cancer drug worksDetailing on the mechanism of the RK-251 smart drug, the government said the cancer cells often produce ‘high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are harmful molecules.’“When RK-251 enters a cancer cell, the high ROS levels trigger the drug's activation, releasing a powerful anticancer compound called “NBDHEX”. This compound blocks target proteins that many cancer cells use to survive and resist treatment,” it said, adding that the smart drug showed strong activity against aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cells, with much less effect on healthy cells in preclinical studies.Also read: mRNA’s second act: A bespoke cancer vaccine & what Merck-Moderna’s melanoma trial could mean for oncologyIt further added that the drug did not show any obvious signs of toxicity while its behavior was being studied in zebrafish embryos. “It exhibited the desired fluorescence in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), suggesting the drug may be safe for further research and validation,” the government said on Thursday, adding that more studies are required before the technology can be tested in patients.Indian healthcare is facing a mounting pressure on account of rising cancer cases. India records over 1.4 million new cancer cases and more than 700,000 deaths annually, according to the Indian Journal of Medicine. The most common types include breast, oral cavity, lung, cervical, and colorectal cancers. Many of these cancers have been attributed to lifestyle, food habits and use of tobacco.