{"id":18762,"date":"2025-02-24T17:50:56","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T17:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=18762"},"modified":"2025-02-26T16:04:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T16:04:23","slug":"rice-and-vanderbilt-researchers-unveil-new-method-for-cancer-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/rice-and-vanderbilt-researchers-unveil-new-method-for-cancer-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Rice and Vanderbilt Researchers Unveil New Method for Cancer Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A collaborative study by researchers from Rice and Vanderbilt Universities reveals that combining a small-molecule protein therapy with focused ultrasound can significantly reduce prostate cancer tumors, marking a groundbreaking step in non-invasive cancer treatment.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A new study <a href=\"https:\/\/advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/advs.202412995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Advanced Science has unveiled a promising new method for treating prostate cancer. By combining focused ultrasound (FUS) with a small-molecule protein therapy known as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a research team from Rice University and Vanderbilt University has discovered a way to significantly reduce the size and burden of prostate cancer tumors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study, led by Michael King, the E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering\u00a0at Rice, and Charles Caskey, an associate professor in radiology and radiological sciences at Vanderbilt, is the first to demonstrate that low-intensity mechanical force, in combination with TRAIL, can effectively treat cancers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Urgent Need for Better Treatments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is urgent need to improve how we treat advanced and recurrent prostate cancer, which is the second-leading cause of death among men in the United States and is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in more than 100 countries,&#8221; King, a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Scholar, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.rice.edu\/news\/2025\/rice-led-study-finds-focused-ultrasound-therapy-improves-cancer-treatment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">King emphasized the significance of their discovery, adding: \u201cWe have now found a safe, effective, and noninvasive way to enhance the antitumor effects of a specific cancer drug (TRAIL), a promising finding which we are hopeful can soon be translated for clinical care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Challenges With Current Treatments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Current treatments for prostate cancer often bring severe side effects, and despite promising results in laboratory settings, the clinical application of TRAIL has faced challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TRAIL has a very short half-life, requiring multiple daily administrations, which increases the risk of side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combining Mechanical Forces With Therapy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In previous studies, the team found that certain mechanical forces like fluid shear stress (FSS) could amplify the anticancer effects of TRAIL, though these forces are not present in solid tumors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This led to the hypothesis that low-intensity FUS might achieve similar results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Successful Preclinical Trials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Abigail Fabiano, a doctoral student in the King lab, and Malachy Newman, a biomedical engineering graduate student at Vanderbilt, conducted several experiments using prostate cancer cell lines to ensure no harm came to nearby healthy cells from mechanical forces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They discovered that combining FUS with TRAIL was significantly more effective than using either treatment independently. This synergistic action opens new possibilities for treating cancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This foundational study provides crucial preclinical insights that can be used to develop a novel combination therapy for prostate cancer,&#8221; King added. &#8220;Furthermore, it opens the doors to many new avenues for using mechanotherapy in medicine and has far-reaching implications in how FUS and other mechanical therapies can be combined with small-molecule protein therapy and other drugs to effectively treat various types of cancers with fewer adverse effects in the future.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Looking Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The promising preclinical results could pave the way for new, non-invasive cancer treatments with minimal side effects, offering hope for millions of patients worldwide. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new study published in the journal Advanced Science has unveiled a promising new method for treating prostate cancer. By combining focused ultrasound (FUS) with a small-molecule protein therapy known as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a research team from Rice University and Vanderbilt University has discovered a way to significantly reduce the size [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[33,34],"class_list":["post-18762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","tag-rice-university","tag-vanderbilt-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A new study published in the journal Advanced Science has unveiled a promising new method for treating prostate cancer. By combining focused ultrasound (FUS) with a small-molecule protein therapy known as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a research team from Rice University and Vanderbilt University has discovered a way to significantly reduce the size&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18762"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18762\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18830,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18762\/revisions\/18830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}