Researchers develop marker dye to help surgeons remove prostate cancer cells

In a recent study published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, scientists from the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences and the Department of Oncology at Oxford University, alongside Oxford University Hospitals and Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Center, have developed a “second pair of eyes” for surgeons operating on prostate cancer patients.

The Study

The study, titled “First‑in‑man study of the PSMA Minibody IR800‑IAB2M for molecularly targeted intraoperative fluorescence guidance during radical prostatectomy,” involved the use of a special marker dye, attached to a fluorescent molecule, that could stick to prostate cancer cells. The combination of the dye and targeting molecule allowed surgeons to see the edges of the tumor and identify any clusters of cancerous cells that had spread from the tumor into nearby pelvic tissues and lymph nodes. This allows for the removal of all cancerous tissues while preserving healthy areas around the prostate.

Twenty-three men diagnosed with prostate cancer were injected with the marker dye before undergoing robotic-assisted surgery to remove the prostate gland. Surgeons used an imaging system that shines a special type of light on the prostate and nearby areas, making the prostate cancer cells glow, to remove all cancerous tissues while preserving the healthy structures around the prostate. The study found that the marker dye found areas of cancerous tissue not picked up by the naked eye or other clinical methods.

How it Works

The dye and marker molecule work by attaching themselves to a protein called Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) commonly found on the surface of prostate cancer cells. The marker molecule is made from a smaller version of an antibody called a “minibody,” which can only bind to PSMA and not to any other molecule.

Benefits to Patients

The use of this marker dye can reduce the chances of cancer coming back while preserving healthy tissues, which means fewer life-changing side effects after surgery. According to Nuffield Professor of Surgery at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, Professor Freddie Hamdy, “Prostate surgery is life changing. We want patients to leave the operating theater knowing that we have done everything possible to eradicate their cancer and give them the best quality of life afterward.”

Potential for Other Types of Cancer

Further clinical trials are already underway in larger groups of patients to see if the technique removes more prostate cancer and preserves more healthy pelvic tissue compared to existing surgical methods. Furthermore, the marker dye could also be used for other types of cancer by changing the protein it uses to attach itself to the cancer cells.

Conclusion

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 52,300 new cases every year. This new marker dye could fundamentally transform how we treat prostate cancer in the future and give people longer, healthier lives free from the disease. This marker dye is still in its early stages of clinical development, but in the future, it could be used routinely by surgeons to see every part of the cancer while they perform surgery to remove the prostate.

Long-tail Keywords:

Marker dye for prostate cancer, PSMA minibody IR800-IAB2M, radical prostatectomy, intraoperative fluorescence guidance, prostate cancer surgery

Originally Post From https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-dye-surgeons-eradicate-prostate-cancer.html

Glowing Dye Helps Surgeons Eradicate Prostate Cancer, Reveals Medical Xpress