Bladder tumors are reduced by 90% through the use of nanorobots

Bladder cancer has one of the highest incidence rates in the world and is the fourth most common tumor in men. Despite their relatively low mortality rate, almost half of these bladder tumors will recur within five years, requiring retreatment continuous monitoring of the patient.

Frequent visits to the hospital and have to repeat the treatments They contribute to making this type of cancer one of the most difficult and expensive to cure.

Although current treatments that deliver drugs directly into the bladder have good survival rates, their therapeutic effectiveness remains low. A promising alternative is the use of nanoparticles that can be used to deliver therapeutic agents directly to the tumor. Particularly noteworthy are nanorobots, nanoparticles that have the ability to move around within the body.

A study has now been published in the specialist journal Nature nanotechnology reveals how a research team managed to reduce the size of bladder tumors in mice by 90% using a single dose of urea-powered nanorobots.

These tiny nanomachines consist of a porous silica sphere. Its interface contains various components with specific functions. Among them is the Urease enzyme, a protein that reacts with urea in urine, allowing the nanoparticle to propel itself. Another crucial component is the radioactive iodinea radioisotope commonly used for localized treatment of tumors.

The research led by the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and CIC biomaGUNE, in collaboration with the Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB Barcelona) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), paves the way for innovative treatments against breast cancer. Bladder. These advances aim to shorten the length of hospital stay, meaning lower costs and greater comfort for patients.

With a single dose of nanoparticles, we observed a 90% reduction in tumor volume. With current treatments, however, patients have to attend between six and 14 hospital appointments

Samuel Sánchez, Director of Studies (IBEC)

“With a single dose, we observed a 90% reduction in tumor volume. This is significantly more effective because patients with this type of tumor typically have six to 14 hospital appointments with current treatments. “This treatment approach would increase efficiency, shorten the length of hospital stay and reduce treatment costs,” he explains. Samuel SanchezICREA research professor at IBEC and leader of the study.

The next step, which is already underway, is to determine whether these tumors come back after treatment.

A fantastic journey to the bubble

In previous research, scientists confirmed that the nanorobots' self-propulsion capability allowed them to reach all walls of the bubble. This is an advantage compared to the current procedure, which requires the patient to change positions every half hour after administering the treatment directly into the bladder to ensure that the medication reaches all the walls.

This new study goes one step further and shows not only the mobility of the nanoparticles in the bladder, but also their specific accumulation in the tumor. This success was possible thanks to various techniques, including Positron emission tomography (PET) of the mice as well as microscopy images of the tissues removed after the study was completed. The latter were recorded using a fluorescence microscopy system developed specifically for this project at IRB Barcelona.

This method involves scanning the different layers of the bladder and creating a 3D reconstruction that allows observation of the entire organ.

“The innovative optical system we developed allowed us to eliminate light reflected from the tumor itself, making it possible to identify and locate nanoparticles throughout the organ with unprecedented resolution without prior labeling.” “We observed that the nanorobots “Not only reached the tumor, but penetrated it, thereby enhancing the effect of the radiopharmaceutical,” he explains. Julien ColombelliHead of the Advanced Digital Microscopy platform at IRB Barcelona.

We observed that the nanorobots not only reached the tumor, but also penetrated it, enhancing the effect of the radiopharmaceutical

Julien Colombelli, co-author of the work (IRB)

It was a challenge to decipher why nanorobots can penetrate the tumor. These nanoparticles lack specific antibodies to recognize the tumor and tumor tissue is usually stiffer than healthy tissue.

“However, we observed that these nanomachines can destroy the tumor’s extracellular matrix and locally increase the pH through a self-driven chemical reaction. This phenomenon favored greater tumor penetration and contributed to achieving preferential tumor accumulation,” explains Meritxell Serra CasablancasCo-first author of the study and IBEC researcher.

From this, the scientists concluded that the nanorobots collide with the urothelium as if it were a wall, but manage to penetrate the tumor, which is spongier and accumulates inside. A crucial factor is the mobility of the nanomachines, which increases the probability of reaching the tumor.

In addition, according to Jordi LlopResearcher at CIC biomaGUNE and co-leader of the study “The localized administration of nanorobots”. Radioisotope carriers “It reduces the likelihood of undesirable effects and the high accumulation in the tumor tissue promotes the radiotherapeutic effect.”

“The results of this study open the door to the use of other radioisotopes with greater ability to produce therapeutic effects, but whose use is limited when administered systemically,” he adds. Cristina SimoCo-first author of the study.

Years of work, a patent and a spin-off

The underlying technology of these nanorobots, which Samuel Sánchez and his team have been developing for more than seven years, is recently patented and serves as the basis for the development of Nanobots Therapeutics, a spin off by IBEC and ICREA founded in January 2023.

The company founded by Sánchez acts as Bridge between research and clinical application: “Achieve solid financing for the spin off It is crucial to continue to advance this technology and, if all goes well, bring it to market and into society.” In June, just five months after founding Nanobots Tx, we successfully closed the first round of financing and are excited to the future,” emphasizes Sánchez.