TO P 1 0 M O ST P RO M I S I N G
E X P E R I M E N TA L C A N CE R T R EAT M E N T S
Cancer. A word that fills people with dread. A powerful, devastating word that has destroyed so many
lives of cancer victims, their families and loved ones. A word that scientists and doctors are actively and
fervently working towards making just a memory.
Every year there are new breakthroughs in oncology research and cancer treatments. Unfortunately a lot
of these experimental treatments take years to develop and to run them through the required clinical
trials, and they still don't always pan out in the end. This top ten list, however, is going to walk you
through some of the most exciting experimental cancer treatments currently being tested or
administered in pre-clinical trials. Scientists are the most hopeful about these experimental cancer
treatments right now and explain why they might be viable options for cancer patients. Some of these
treatments are still in the early stages of development, whereas others are currently in pre -clinical and
clinical trials to test how viable they are as treatments.
RADIATION THERAPIES
Radiation therapies are any number of therapies that utilize different forms of radiation to try and cause
cancerous tumors to go into remission.
HYPERTHERMIA THERAPY
Hyperthermia Therapy is an experimental form of cancer therapy that utilizes localized or whole -body
administration of heat. Intense heating will cause denaturation and coagulation of cellular proteins,
rapidly killing the cells within a tumor. What this means is the protein cells will lose their quaternary
structure, tertiary structure and secondary structure which causes cell disruption and cell death. A mild
heat-treatment in combination of other stresses can also cause apoptosis of the cell, which means the
cell dies and creates fragments which are called apoptotic bodies, which can be cleaned up by phagocytic
cells. Phagocytic cells engulf these apoptotic bodies which destroys them, rendering them unable to
cause damage to surrounding cells.
Hyperthermia Therapy is very exciting because, if it turns out to be a viable treatment, this will destroy
the cancerous tumors from the inside out and hinder its ability to infect more healthy cells. This therapy
type is currently in the very early stages of development, as scientists need to dial in how much heat is
needed to destroy these cells.
The application of heat to treat certain medical conditions, including possible tumors, has a very long
history. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians used heat to treat breast masses; this is still a
recommended self-care treatment for breast engorgement. Medical practitioners in ancient India used
regional and whole-body hyperthermia as treatments for various medical maladies as well. During the
19th century, tumor shrinkage after a high fever caused by infections was reported in a small number of
cases. Because of this, properly conducted clinical trials were conducted in the early 1970's using
hyperthermia therapy in an attempt to reduce or kill cancerous growths in patients. The ancient usage
of hyperthermia treatment, the reported cases of tumor-shrinkage in the early 19th century and the
clinical trials performed in the 1970's comprise the basis for today's treatments utilizing hyperthermia
therapy.
Fact: More than 30% of cancer could be prevented, mainly by not using tobacco, having a healthy diet,
being physically active and moderating the use of alcohol. In developing countries up to 20% of cancer
deaths could be prevented by immunization against the infection of HBV and HPV.
NON-INVASIVE CANCER TREATMENTS
Non-invasive cancer treatments require no incisions in a patient's skin or excisions of living tissue.
These reduce the recovery time associated with cancer therapy, and would also suit patients whose
overall health precludes surgical or otherwise invasive treatment. Many non-invasive treatments also
reduce the risk of common cancer treatment side effects, such as brain fog and gastrointestinal upset,
when compared to drugs or radiation therapies.
One treatment involves injecting metallic nanoparticles, including gold, carbon nanotubes, or zinc
ferrite, into the tumor. Doctors would then heat these nanoparticles up using magnetic fields or radio
waves, killing the surrounding cancer cells. The particles would need to he at up quickly to successfully
kill the cancer cells, however, due to the tendency of the body to carry heat away from a given location.
These treatments have not yet reached clinical trials, but show promise.
Tumor treating fields have been approved for treatment since 2011. These electric fields make it more
difficult for aggressive cancers, such as glioblastoma multiforme, to continue dividing, which can both
diminish growth and reduce the chance that the cancer will spread. These treatments give comparable
results to additional rounds of chemotherapy in some patients, but unlike chemotherapy or radiation,
tumor treating fields therapies have no associated pain, fatigue, nausea, or gastrointestinal distress,
giving patients a better quality of life.
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment uses focused sound waves to destroy cancerous
cells in the bone, brain, breast, liver, pancreas, rectum, kidneys, testes, and prostate. While approved by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, HIFU is still in its early stages, and the full potential of
ultrasound in the fight against cancer has not yet been fully explored. In addition to being non -invasive,
HIFU also introduces no radiation, has few side effects, and does not require a hospital stay.
Fact: There are more than 100 types of cancer; any part of the human anatomy can be affected by
cancer.
GENE THERAPY
A possible form of gene therapy is the introduction of enzymes into cancerous cells that make them
susceptible to particular chemotherapy agents; introducing thymidine kinase in gliomas, which make
them susceptible to Aciclovir is the current study being worked on into this form of experimental
treatment. Thymidine kinase have a key function in the synthe sis of DNA and, due to this function, it
plays a key role in cell division as well, as they are part of the unique reaction chain to introduce
thymidine into the DNA. Aciclovir (ACV) also known as Acyclovir is an antiviral medication primarily
used in the treatment of herpes simplex virus infections, chickenpox and shingles. This treatment is
thought to be highly effective, but it is still in its early developmental stages and, as such, it could take
some time before it even reaches clinical trials. Scientists are hopeful that this form of treatment will
prove to be effective however, which they base on the amount of research that has currently gone into it.
The basis of gene therapy is the introduction of tumor suppressor genes into rapidly dividing cells,
which is thought by most scientist to slow down or arrest tumor growth. Adenoviruses are a commonly
utilized vector for the purpose of hindering tumor growth. Adenoviruses represent the largest non -
enveloped virus group currently known. Due to how Adenoviruses behave and their cell structure, they
have long been a popular viral vector for gene therapy due to their ability to affect both replicating and
non-replicating cells, accommodate large transgenes, and code for proteins without integrating into the
host cell genome. More specifically, Adenoviruses are used as a vehicle to administer targeted therapy in
form of recombinant DNA or proteins. This makes Adenoviruses one of the most viable vectors for gene
therapy currently known.
Fact: In 2008, 7.6 million people died of cancer – 13% of all deaths worldwide.
IMMUNOTHERAPY
Immunotherapy uses the body's natural defense mechanisms to fight off cancerous cells. These
treatments are often less toxic and often more effective than other forms of therapy.
IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC VACCINES
Immunotherapeutic vaccines are a form of vaccine that gives your body the tools it needs to fight off
cancer. Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) is currently the only FDA approved Immunotherapeutic vaccine in use.
Sipuleucel-T is used for individuals with advanced prostate cancer that are no longer benefiting from or
responding to other forms of cancer treatment such as hormone therapy. With this treatment immune
system cells are removed from the patient's blood and are sent to a lab. At the lab, t he cells are exposed
to chemicals that turn them into special immune cells called dendritic cells. The dendritic cells are then
exposed to a protein called prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), which should produce an immune
response against prostate cancer cells. This form of treatment is currently available to the public with
great results. Currently a form of this treatment is in works for various other forms of cancer such as
lung and bladder cancers, but these treatments are currently in the early developm ent stages; scientists
are hopeful that when the experimental treatments are put into clinical trials they will have the same
success rate for eradicating other forms of cancer as it currently has had with eradicating prostate
cancer.
One form of immunotherapy is to use Monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer. Normal antibodies are
specific proteins that stick to other proteins called antigens. Once antibodies attach to an antigen, they
signal other antibodies to attach to it as well, and they all attack it to destroy it. Monoclonal antibodies
(mAbs) are antibodies designed by researchers to attack specific antigens, such as the ones found in
cancer. Once designed, researchers produce a large number of these Monoclonal antibodies in a lab and
introduce them into a patient's body to fight off cancerous cells. For this to work, researchers first have
to identify the right antigen to attack. For cancer, this is not always easy, and so far mAbs have proven
to be more useful against some cancers than others. This is still being investigated by researchers to
work against a wider range of cancers.
Fact: Cancers of major public health relevance such as breast, cervical and colorectal cancer can be
cured if detected early and treated adequately.
ADOPTIVE CELL TRANSFER THERAPIES
Adoptive cell transfers involves removing immune system cells (usually white blood cells) from a
patient's body, re-engineering them to teach them how to fight against specific forms of cancerous cells
and then re-infusing them back into the patient's body. These experimental cancer treatments have to
be specifically tailored to each patient, making them resource-intensive and thus not as easily scalable
as other forms of cancer treatment. Adoptive cell transfers are used for various other treatm ents, as it's
the main way to improve a cell's functionality, particularly its ability to fight off illnesses. Trials of this
therapy began in the 1990's but really accelerated in 2010. There have been numerous examples of
highly promising results with tumor-specific, adoptive cellular immunotherapy in early clinical trials,
but such treatments are not yet widely available at this time. Scientists are currently working on how to
make this a more accessible treatment option for patients.
The theory behind adoptive cell transfer therapy was discovered in the 1960s, when lymphocytes were
found to mediate allograft rejection in animals. Doctors successfully transferred lymphocytes between
rodents to inhibit tumor growth. This has opened new avenues in cancer tr eatment.
Adoptive cell therapy uses T cells, a type of immune cell that naturally occurs within the human body, to
fight cancer and other diseases. Doctors take T cells from the patient's blood or tumor tissue, then grow
them in much larger numbers than the body would manage on its own before reintroducing them to the
patient's body. Sometimes, this process also includes modifications to the T cells that will make them
more capable of destroying cancer tissues.
A similar process using T cells from a donor, rather than the patient's own T cells, has been researched,
but not all results have been positive. Finding appropriate donors can be difficult or even impossible for
some otherwise promising avenues of treatment.
Fact: About 70% of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
DRUG THERAPIES
Treatments that fall under the drug therapies category involve using man -made or natural drugs to
promote cancer recovery.
DICHLOROACETATE
Dichloroacetate (DCA) has been found in lab studies to reduce tumors in vivo in lab rats, and has a
plausible scientific mechanism behind it: DCA appears to reactivate suppressed mitochondria in some
types of oxygen-starved tumor cells, and thus promotes apoptosis. Apoptosis, as stated earlier, is a
perfect way to rid the body of cancerous cells due to the way the body disposes of what is left over after
apoptosis. Because this drug was tested for various other applications, we now know it is a relatively
safe, available and inexpensive drug. This drug can also be ta ken orally, which is very convenient for a
lot of patients. This drug, however, has only gone through a pre-clinical trial that consisted of five
patients. Doctors have stated that four out of the five were probably extended due to the drug, but until
it goes to full clinical trials we won't know the extent of its cancer -fighting properties.
DCA is an acid, an analogue of acetic acid, in which 2 of the 3 hydrogen atoms of the methyl group have
been replaced by chlorine atoms. Like the other chloroacetic acids, it has various practical applications
because it inhibits what's known as pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase which is a kinase enzyme. Pyruvate
dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) has been shown to have increased activity in hypoxic cancer cells, which
are cancer cells that have a decreased oxygen flow. Because DCA inhibits PDK, it shows potential as a
viable treatment for hypoxic cancer cells in patients. Pre-clinical trials have shown that it inhibits
cancerous growths in vitro in animals. DCA can only be administered in a carefully controlled
laboratory setting, however, as improper usage or dosage can easily cause liver damage or other
complications, so taking DCA without a doctor's orders or not following a doctor's orders exactly is
something that is strongly discouraged for general cancer patients.
Fact: One-fifth of all cancers worldwide are caused by a chronic infection, for example human
papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer and hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes liver cancer.
QUERCETIN
Quercetin is a dietary supplement that makes for an excellent free-radical-scavenging antioxidant and it
also promotes apoptosis in cancerous cells. In vitro it has been proven to have anti -tumor proclivities in
both oral cancer and leukemia. Cultured skin and prostate cancer cells showed significant mortality
(compared to nonmalignant cells) when treated with a combination of quercetin and ultrasound.
Interestingly enough, ultrasound promotes topical absorption of up to 1,000% making a topical
Quercetin and ultrasound combination to be a possible option for experimental cancer treatment.
Quercetin is found in most fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains, which is why a diet high in these items
can be very advantageous for many cancer patients. When taken orally, such as eating products that
naturally contain it, it can be a helpful supplement to other cancer treatments, but doctors are trying to
find a way to create a topical ointment that will work against cancerous cells to use in combination with
ultrasound therapy. The topical ointment is still in early development, but the food items that contain
this antioxidant are readily available on the market.
Some foods containing Quercetin are as follows: capers (canned or fresh), black plums, cranberries,
fennel, radish leaves, dill, cilantro, red onions, kale, sweet potato, blueberries, Red Delicious apples,
broccoli and black or green teas. A diet high in these foods as a supplement can sometimes help inhibit
cancerous growths. This should by no means be used as a cancer treatment replacement, only as a
supplement. Quercetin has the capability to inhibit cancerous cells from multiplying, but it isn't as
effective on its own as other treatments. Popular treatment options involving Quercetin are usually
radiation therapy or Adoptive Cell Transfer Therapies that utilize a diet rich in Quercetin as a
complimenting supplement.
Fact: Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of cancer in the world causing 22% of cancer
deaths.
COMBINATION OPDIVO AND YERVOY
Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center offered a 49-year old patient with melanoma
growths an experimental combination of two drugs: Opdivo and Yervoy, both of which are
manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Both of these drugs are new medications that boos t the immune
system so it can attack cancerous growths. Three weeks after the first dose, the patient's melanoma
growths had disappeared completely. Afterwards, doctors launched a 142 -patient study on the effects of
Opdivo and Yervoy when taken in combination. An astounding 22% of the study group had what's
known as a complete response to the drugs; that is to say that their cancerous growths completely
disappeared. This drug combination, however, boosts a high toxicity rate along with it's high success
rate, so scientists are currently looking into ways to combat the toxicity they cause in patients. These
drugs are still currently in the clinical trial phase, but should be readily available to advanced case
patients in the near future; cases where the toxicity chance is more preferable to letting the
unresponsive cancer continue to spread.
Opdivo is what is known as a programmed death receptor which blocks antibodies and is used for the
treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma and metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung
carcinoma. In contrast to traditional chemotherapies and targeted anti -cancer therapies, which exert
their effects by direct cytotoxic or tumor growth inhibition, nivolumab acts by inducing the immune
system to attack the tumor.
Yervoy is a monoclonal antibody (mAbs) that works to activate the immune system by targeting CTLA -4,
a protein receptor that downregulates the immune system. It was approved by the U.S. FDA in 2011 for
the treatment of melanoma, a type of skin cancer and is currently undergoing clinical trials for use in
treating non-small cell lung carcinoma, small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer and metastatic hormone -
refractory prostate cancer.
Fact: About 70% of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
BACTERIAL THERAPIES AND VIROTHERAPY
CLOSTRIDIUM NOVYI
Early clinical trials using Clostridium novyi-NT spores to consume the interior of some tumors have
shown promising results. The bacteria eat through the interior of oxygen-poor tumors, then die as they
reach the oxygenated sides of the tumor. This reduces the number of cancerous cells, and in turn makes
treatment easier. The bacteria cannot consume oxygenated parts of the tumor on their own, so this type
of treatment requires follow-up with another treatment method to remove oxygenated cancer cells. This
reduction in tumor size can help avoid cancer-related issues such as infections and hypoxia.
This treatment relies on the inherent differences between a patient's healthy cells and those with in the
tumor, and the bacteria's ability to live in only one of those environments. C. novyi cannot live in
oxygenated environments like the human body, but can safely live, consume, and multiply within
hypoxic environments like the center of a tumor. As a result, they cannot directly harm the patient, but
will eat through most of the mass of a tumor. In some patients, the presence of the bacteria also
encourages tumor-specific immune responses, further helping the body to fight the cancer.
Early trials did display some potential issues with the treatment as well, however. Two patients chosen
for the most aggressive C. novyi treatment, which injected more than three million spores into the
tumor, underwent sepsis and gas gangrene. Safe dosage has currently been set at one million spores.
This treatment can also cause increased inflammation in the surrounding tissue, which makes it difficult
for scientists to perfectly reflect tumor reduction within the experimental data.
Other strains of anaerobic bacteria have been considered for similar treatment methods. One promising
solution involves injecting a non-toxic prodrug along with bacteria that can process it into a tumor -
killing drug. This would enable doctors to introduce the tumor -killing drug exclusively in hypoxic areas
of the tumor, keeping the rest of the patient's body safe.
Fact: Worldwide, the 5 most common types of cancer that kill women are (in the order of frequency):
breast, lung, stomach, colorectal and cervical. In many developing countries, cervi cal cancer is the most
common cancer.
GENETICALLY-MODIFIED POLIOVIRUS THERAPY
This therapy which utilizes genetically-modified Poliovirus samples is an extremely new treatment
option for cancer patients. Researchers at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke
University modified the poliovirus with portion of a cold -causing rhinovirus which removed the
intrinsic disease-causing properties of the poliovirus. This genetically-modified virus has been dubbed
the "PVS-RIPO" virus and it works by being directly infused into a patient's tumor (such as a brain
tumor). Once inside the tumor, PVS-RIPO then proceeds to infect and kill the cancerous cells. PVS -
RIPO has remarkable cancer regression capabilities on its own, but it's real power lies in the fact that it
alerts your body's natural defense mechanisms into fighting against the cancerous cells as well. The
human immune system is trained to fight against viral infections and, as such, it recognizes the now
infected cancer cells as being viral in nature and it attacks them. The body doesn't normally attack
cancer cells on its own due to the fact that cancer cells have a sort of "shield" around them that causes
the immune system to not be able to "see" it properly.
The PVS-RIPO poliovirus was invented by Matthias Gromeier, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery,
Associate Professor in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Associate Professor of Medicine at
Duke University School of Medicine, more than 2 decades ago, when he discovered that many cancer
cells, including glioblastoma cells, produce the poliovirus receptor Necl -5/CD155. Glioblastoma
multiforme (GBM), also known as glioblastoma and grade IV astrocytoma, is the most common and
aggressive form of cancer that begins within the brain. People that s uffer from this form of cancer
almost never recover, but with the help of PVS-RIPO, sufferers may now have a chance to fight against
this type of cancer.
Fact: Worldwide, the 5 most common types of cancer that kill men are (in order of frequency): lung,
stomach, liver, colorectal and esophagus.
IN CLOSING:
Experimental cancer treatments are medical therapies designed to improve, supplement or replace
traditional cancer treatments (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation) in an attempt to reduce or remove
cancerous growths. As you can see, all of the listed treatments are very exciting in nature and, if they
become viable, can hopefully help us eradicate cancer.
