OSU researchers, Gene Tools cite nanotechnology as future treatment

Scientists at Oregon State University and Gene Tools in Philomath believe nanotechnology could cure cancer, and they've made a major breakthrough by using custom-made molecules to attach imaging agents directly to cancer cells in mice.

Therapeutic agents could be delivered using the same mechanism, said John Mata, a senior research assistant professor of biomedicine in OSU's College of Veterinary Science.

The nanotechnology may provide a far less-invasive method of treating cancer than surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. It could also be less costly, Mata said.

The OSU-led research will be published in the December issue of the journal Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine. Mata is the lead author.

Mata, who said he's already been working on this idea for three to four years, aims to start testing on mice with a treatment designer molecule in 2008.

"It's just a matter of being able to fund the research. Then we really hope to be able to move into dogs" that naturally have contacted cancer, he said.

The compounds, designed by James Summerton, a former OSU biochemist and owner of Gene Tools, target the low pH level of cancerous tumors. A chemical "switch" directs the molecules to embed in the tumor cells.

Summerton's and OSU's plans to tackle cancer are different, however.

OSU wants to stimulate an immune response to have the body kill the tumor itself, Mata said. And it likely will be years before there are any clinical trials in animals other than mice.

Summerton said he's already working with a more-advanced and smaller molecule that uses a radioactive atom and can eradicate cancer.

"Conceptually, it's very similar. It is diverging, but I think Gene Tools will still be our partners as we move forward and still develop some of these technologies," Mata said.

Summerton stressed that the OSU-led study involved the very best structures ever tested in tumor-bearing mice, and serves as support for acid-targeting nanotechnology. Summerton hopes to have results of studies in mice from his smaller molecules in the next few months.

In a presentation to the Philomath Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 15, Summerton said he hopes to establish a clinic in Mexico and launch research with humans there next year.

"It will be much cheaper than current cures. Much less toxic. Much more effective," he said. And Summerton added that it will cost only $10,000.

Last year, Gene Tools sold about an ounce of its designer molecules, which brought the company more than $4 million, Summerton said.

Researchers say the studies suggest the potential for using similar acidity-seeking molecules for the treatment of other conditions, including nerve regeneration in spinal cord injuries. "Some of those injuries produce areas of low pH that can be targeted," Mata said.

Funding for the OSU-led research came from Gene Tools and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Kyle Odegard covers Oregon State University. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.