Tumor-Initiating Cell Probe makes it Possible to Simultaneously Diagnose and Treat Cancer

Effective prevention measures and timely diagnosis, followed by prompt intervention through effective treatment are crucial in managing cancer. However, the feasibility of providing prompt treatment upon diagnosis remains questionable. Now, researchers have successfully determined the ability of fluorescent probe for tumor-initiating cell yellow (TiY) to stain the cells responsible for tumor growth as well as suppress the growth of those cells at the same time. This promising development offers a single-step solution to both diagnose and treat cancer. Current cancer treatments often fail to completely remove tumors due to metastasis or recurrence, but TiY presents a hopeful approach to overcoming this challenge.

In their previous study, the research team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH, Gyeongbuk. Korea), had developed a fluorescent probe called TiY that could selectively identify and detect tumor-initiating cells (TICs), similar to a fluorescent highlighter. Expanding on this achievement, the team conducted further research to investigate TiY's potential for cancer treatment. In the current study, the team examined changes in cancer stem cells in response to varying concentrations of TiY. The team obtained cancer stem cells from patients with lung cancer and transplanted them into mice for experimental purposes. To assess the therapeutic effects of TiY staining, the team gradually increased the dosage of TiY administered to the mice via intravenous injection during their experiments.

The researchers found that at low concentrations, TiY could stain cancer stem cells, but at higher concentrations, it demonstrated an impressive ability to inhibit their growth, resulting in significant destruction of the cancer stem cells. This targeted treatment is facilitated by TiY's unique mechanism, which enables its molecules to selectively bind to vimentin, a muscle-specific protein found in the cytoskeleton of cancer stem cells, thereby enabling TiY to specifically target and suppress these cells.

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