Doctors and scientists are always working on developing new medical treatments to fight against the ever present monster that devastates the lives and families of 1 in 8 women in the United States, especially on Long Island where this monster is most commonly reported, breast cancer.  Although no set cure has been developed as of yet, thanks to advances in technology and medicine more and more women are able to survive this cancerous beast. Continuous advancements in medicine and technology have led to the development of outstanding treatment methods that not only better fight off cancers but also results in less harm toward the patient. A new type of treatment method that is currently being tested out is a new “nanodrug” that attack breast cancer cells from the inside out.

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai’s Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have developed a drug that targets that key mechanisms inside the most difficult breast cancers cells. Typically drugs target cancer cells from the outside but as a side effect they often end up injuring normal cells. What is different with this new type of treatment method is that it consists of multiple drugs that are chemically bonded to a “transport vehicle”. When they enter the body they avoid healthy cells and immediately head towards the tumor cells. There they accumulate inside the tumor cells and attack the molecular targets which allow the cancer cells to grow and spread.

Although this method has only been tested on lab mice, studies show that this approach of using a combination of drugs is more effective that standard treatment methods. What makes the new drug so effective is that it carries molecular components, each having a distinct role. These components include: Herceptin which targets the existing HER2 protein, which is a type of protein that promotes the growth of cancer cells and is often related to aggressive cancers; another molecule that attacks a genetic mechanism that causes the production of new protein; and a molecule to open blood vessels in the tumor and deliver the drugs into the cancer cells for release. When tested on mice that were implanted with human breast cell cancers, the drugs gathered in the cancers and significantly reduced tumor growth.

Based on recent studies, this new drug, also classified as a nanobiopolymeric conjugate, appears to be a safe and effective delivery platform that may have the potential to treat a wide array of disorders. This drug does not stimulate the immune system so it doesn’t cause allergic reactions, and it’s harmlessly degraded to water and carbon dioxide, and nontoxic to normal tissue. This new treatment method is just another beacon of hope to all victims of breast cancer and their families and shows that researchers are on their way to finding that one set cure that will eliminate this monstrous cancer once and for all.