Blurb:
A breakthrough study by IISc researchers has shown that low-frequency ultrasound can selectively eliminate oral cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, opening the door to safer and less invasive treatment for one of India’s most common cancers.
CH NEWS
BENGALURU
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have reported a major breakthrough in oral cancer research by demonstrating that low-frequency ultrasound waves can selectively destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells largely unaffected.
The discovery could pave the way for a safer, non-invasive treatment for oral cancer, one of the most prevalent cancers in India, where tobacco, areca nut and gutka consumption remain key risk factors.
Current treatment methods, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, often damage healthy tissues along with cancer cells, resulting in pain, complications and long-term side effects.
To address this challenge, IISc researchers collaborated with clinicians from MS Ramaiah Medical College and Hospital to test low-frequency ultrasound on tumour samples collected directly from oral cancer patients. Using patient-derived samples allowed the researchers to better capture the diversity of oral cancers seen in Indian patients compared to conventional laboratory-grown cell lines.
The study found that oral cancer cells are highly vulnerable to the moderate mechanical forces generated by ultrasound. According to IISc, healthy cells possess a protein called Tropomyosin 2.1, which helps them withstand mechanical stress. Cancer cells, however, have significantly lower levels of this protein, making them susceptible to ultrasound-induced damage.
As a result, the ultrasound selectively triggered cell death in cancer cells while healthy oral epithelial cells remained largely unharmed.
Ajay Tijore, Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at IISc and the study’s corresponding author, said the research demonstrates a completely different approach to cancer treatment.
“Instead of relying on drugs, chemicals or heat, we use moderate mechanical forces generated by ultrasound to damage cancer cells beyond their ability to recover,” he explained.
The researchers also tested the therapy using a three-dimensional tumour model that closely mimics the human tumour environment. They found that ultrasound disrupted the dense protective barrier surrounding tumours, which often prevents medicines and immune cells from reaching cancerous tissue.
The team believes this could improve the effectiveness of existing cancer therapies by enhancing drug penetration into tumours.
Researchers now plan to evaluate the technique in advanced preclinical models and study whether combining ultrasound with chemotherapy or other treatments can further improve patient outcomes.
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Study highlights
Low-frequency ultrasound selectively destroyed oral cancer cells while preserving healthy tissue. The treatment also reduced the ability of cancer cells to spread and weakened the protective barrier surrounding tumours, potentially improving the delivery of medicines and enhancing the effectiveness of future cancer therapies.
