BENGALURU: A team of researchers and experts from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and MS Ramaiah Medical College and Hospitals is betting on low frequency ultrasound to fight oral cancer.
The study noted that oral cancer cells were vulnerable to moderate mechanical stimulations produced by ultrasound. When exposed to ultrasound-driven mechanical stimulation, cancer cells underwent selective cell death, while healthy oral epithelial cells remained unharmed, the researchers said in the report.
The study titled ‘Revealing biochemical vulnerabilities in oral cancer cells using 3D coculture platform and loq-frequency ultrasound’ was published in Science Direct journal.
Ajay Tijore, Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering, IISc and co-author of the study said the uniqueness of the study lies in showing how ultrasound can target oral caner cells by exploiting their mechanical weakness. Instead of using heat or drugs, this approach uses moderate mechanical forces to damage cancer cells beyond recover,” he said.
The teams also found that the ultrasound drastically reduced the cancer cells’ ability to migrate and invade surrounding tissue.