A UK study has found that a glowing dye that clings to prostate cancer cells could help surgeons remove them in real time.
The dye, initially developed for prostate cancer but potentially adaptable to other cancer types, highlights cancerous tissues that are not visible to the naked eye during surgery.
This enables surgeons to remove more cancer, significantly reducing the likelihood of recurrence.
Cancer Research UK, which funded the research, stated that full clinical trials are underway to determine if surgery using the marker dye removes more prostate cancer and preserves more healthy tissue than current surgical methods.
In an initial study, 23 men with prostate cancer were injected with the marker dye before their prostate removal surgeries.
The fluorescent dye illuminated the cancer cells and showed their spread into other tissues, such as the pelvis and lymph nodes.
A specialised imaging system illuminated the prostate and surrounding areas, making the cancer cells glow.
This level of detail allowed surgeons to excise the cancerous tissue while sparing healthy tissue.
Professor Freddie Hamdy from the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, explained, ‘We are providing the surgeon with an extra set of eyes to locate the cancer cells and track their spread. This is the first time we've been able to see such fine details of prostate cancer in real time during surgery.
‘With this technique, we can remove all the cancerous cells, including those that have spread from the tumour, which could otherwise lead to recurrence. It also helps us preserve as much healthy tissue as possible, minimising life-changing side effects like incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Prostate surgery is transformative, and we want patients to feel confident we’ve done everything possible to eradicate their cancer and improve their quality of life afterwards. I believe this technique makes that goal attainable.’
The new method combines the dye with a targeting molecule known as IR800-IAB2M.
Together, they bind to a protein called prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), commonly found on prostate cancer cells. This approach was developed by Oxford scientists in collaboration with ImaginAb Inc., a company based in Inglewood, California.
Experts hope that in the future, the marker dye can be used for other cancers by adjusting the protein it binds to. The imaging system that detects the glowing cancer cells could also be incorporated into the robotic tools used for prostate surgery.
Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, noted: ‘Surgery can effectively cure cancers when removed early. However, at these early stages, it’s nearly impossible to distinguish which cancers have locally spread and which have not. We need better tools to detect cancers that have started to spread. The combined marker dye and imaging system developed by this research could revolutionise prostate cancer treatment. The technology could be applied to other cancers by attaching it to antibodies binding to proteins found in other cancer types.
‘We hope this new technique continues to show promise in future trials. It is exciting that we might soon have surgical tools that can reliably eradicate prostate and other cancers, giving people longer, healthier lives free from the disease.’
The research was funded by Cancer Research UK and supported by Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, Department of Oncology, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research biomedical research centre.
The findings were published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
