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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science found that oral cancer cells can be destroyed through ultrasound. The special thing is that this method does not harm healthy tissue. Currently, due to surgery, chemo and radiotherapy treatments, healthy tissues are also damaged along with cancer cells. According to research, this method of ultrasound takes advantage of the mechanical weakness of cancer cells and destroys them.
This research can prove to be of great help in the treatment of cancer. Oral cancer remains a major health problem in India today. Consumption of tobacco in different ways becomes the reason for this.
This study has been done by IIS in collaboration with MS Ramah Medical College and Hospital. According to this, low-frequency ultrasound mechanical stimulation kills only cancer cells. This discovery of eliminating cancer cells without causing any harm can prove to be an effective help in the future. However, more research still needs to be done on this. Let us tell you what else came to light in the research.
What came out in the research?
Researchers said that in this the team took samples from oral tumor patients and then performed low-frequency ultrasound mechanical stimulation on them. Research has shown that mechanical stimulation or pressure caused by ultrasound affects oral cancer cells.
The amount of protein named Tropomyosin 2.1 is less in these cells. The amount of this protein is high in normal cells and this protein helps in protecting them from mechanical forces like pressure, stretch and vibration. Healthy tissues are spared and cancer cells become more vulnerable to the effects of ultrasound.
Ajay Tijori, Assistant Professor in the Department of Bio Engineering at IISc It is said that this ultrasound treatment is playing an important role in targeting oral cancer cells. According to him, apart from loss of cells, their ability to recover also gets impaired. The team also found that in this way these cells are not able to migrate to another place.
ultrasound mechanostimulation
Rashmita Luha, a PhD student in the Department of Bioengineering, says that the oral cancer cells of every patient and every stage behaved almost the same. All cancer cells were easily affected by ultrasound, whereas very little effect was seen on healthy cells.
Actually, ultrasound is a technique without surgery and it has many medical uses. According to the study, ultrasound mechanostimulation can play an important role in damaging oral cancer cells in the future. Because the pressure created in it helps in weakening the cells. However, more clinical tests are still necessary for its better effect and safety.
