Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum are developing a new approach to fight cancer cells beyond the primary tumor site.
Critical raw materials, such as rare earth elements and gallium, are often mentioned in the same breath as renewable energy, electric vehicles, or military technology. Less well known is the significant role many metals play in medicine, not only in technical devices such as MRI scanners, implants, or lasers, but also as active pharmaceutical ingredients, particularly in cancer treatment.
At Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, a new gallium-based compound has now been developed. According to the researchers, it not only destroys cancer cells but can also train the immune system to recognize and eliminate metastases. In other words, the body develops a kind of long-term memory for cancer cells, even when they are located far from the original tumor.
Immune System Receives Warning Signals
Dr. Johannes Karges, one of the lead scientists, explains the principle behind the compound: the gallium complex penetrates the cells and, due to specific properties, induces oxidative stress in the endoplasmic reticulum. This membrane system is involved in cellular detoxification and metabolism. According to Karges, the gallium complex triggers a response that only very few drugs can: a process known as immunogenic cell death. During this process, proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and the cell nucleus are released, which serve as warning signals for the immune system. As a result, the immune system learns to generally recognize cancer cells as a threat and responds by attacking them.
The compound has already been successfully tested on cervical cancer cell lines. The next step is to refine it further so that it targets specifically cancer cells and not healthy tissue. To that end, Karges and his team are working on activation methods that utilize external triggers, such as ultrasound or light. This line of research could pave the way for new, holistic approaches to cancer therapy, especially since metastases are still responsible for about 90 percent of all cancer-related deaths.
Gallium and medical innovation: We reported several years ago on the potential of gallium in cancer therapy, specifically for brain tumors. Promising lab results have also been seen in bone cancer. A completely different, yet equally fascinating, potential application is the restoration of vision using an artificial retina. One of gallium’s most remarkable properties, its extremely low melting point, could also simplify injections, blood draws, and surgeries through the use of needles and instruments that soften or even dissolve at body temperature.
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