Context: In a significant breakthrough in cancer therapy, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) and the Bose Institute, Kolkata have developed a revolutionary injectable hydrogel designed to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to tumour sites, offering a safer and more effective alternative to traditional chemotherapy and surgery.

About Hydrogel

• Hydrogel is a water-based, three-dimensional polymer network that can absorb and retain fluids. 

• Hydrogels may be classified based on their 

• sources (natural or synthetic hydrogel), 

• polymeric compositions (homo-polymer, co-polymer and multi-polymer hydrogels), 

• physical structure (amorphous, semi-crystalline and crystalline hydrogels), 

• cross-linkers (physical and chemical cross-linked hydrogels)

• Examples : cellulose, chitosan, collagen, alginate, agarose, hyaluronic acid, gelatin, and fibrin

Key Features of the Hydrogel

• The hydrogel acts as a stable reservoir for anti-cancer drugs, releasing the medication in a controlled manner while minimizing damage to healthy cells.

• This localized drug delivery system addresses significant limitations of conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgical interventions, which often harm healthy tissues or may not be feasible for certain tumours.

• Hydrogels are water-based, three-dimensional polymer networks that can absorb and retain fluids. Their unique structure mimics living tissues, making them ideal for biomedical applications.

• The hydrogel developed by the researchers is composed of ultra-short peptides, which are biocompatible and biodegradable.

• These peptides ensure that the hydrogel remains localized at the injection site, avoiding systemic circulation.

• Mechanism of Action: What sets this hydrogel apart is its ability to respond to elevated levels of glutathione (GSH), a molecule typically abundant in tumour cells. When the hydrogel encounters these high GSH levels, it triggers a controlled release of the anti-cancer drug directly into the tumour. This mechanism significantly reduces side effects associated with chemotherapy, which can impact healthy tissues throughout the body.

Benefits Over Traditional Treatments

• Precision Delivery: The hydrogel ensures that the drug is released directly into the tumour, avoiding healthy cells.

• Minimized Side Effects: By targeting only the tumour cells, the hydrogel reduces the systemic side effects commonly seen with chemotherapy, such as nausea, fatigue, and immune suppression.

• Enhanced Drug Uptake: Studies showed that the hydrogel improves drug uptake by cancer cells, inducing cell cycle arrest and promoting programmed cell death (apoptosis), which helps in attacking tumours from multiple fronts.