Story by Song Hye-jin, https://www.msn.com/en-xl/health/general/
CHINESE RESEARCHERS have developed an injectable treatment combining tiny carbon particles and iron to inhibit cancer cell growth, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 17th.
Professor Wang Yongsheng’s team at the West China Hospital Cancer Center of Sichuan University stated, “In recent Phase 1 clinical trials, 84.2% of patients experienced reduced tumor size or halted growth at the injection site.” The findings were published in the international journal “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.”
The research team drew inspiration from wastewater treatment technology, which purifies dirty water. Iron reacts with hydrogen peroxide to create highly oxidizing substances that degrade pollutants. The team hypothesized that the same reaction could damage the thin membranes surrounding cancer cells, leading to their death.
To achieve this, they developed the experimental injection “CNSI-Fe.” It combines a nano-carbon injection—already used in surgery to stain lymph nodes black for easier identification—with ferrous sulfate, which supplies iron. The carbon particles bind with iron and deliver it to tumors.
The treatment was administered to 19 patients with cancers resistant to conventional therapies, including head and neck cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and vulvar cancer. Among them, 16 were stage 4 patients with cancer that had spread to other parts of the body.
Using ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scans, the team directly injected the drug into tumors. Doses varied per patient, with 12 receiving one treatment and 7 receiving two.
Results showed that tumors shrank in 2 patients, while 14 saw stable disease with no further growth. When evaluating the entire body, including other metastatic sites, 1 patient experienced tumor reduction, and 12 showed no progression.
The researchers noted that as a small-scale initial trial, further validation of efficacy and safety is required.
Side effects included injection pain in approximately 90% of patients, hypertension in 53%, elevated blood iron levels in 47%, and anemia symptoms in 47%.
The team is conducting additional clinical trials to assess whether this injection could be broadly applied to patients unresponsive to existing cancer treatments. Currently, 10 Chinese hospitals are enrolling 52 patients for Phase 2 trials.
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