Cancer ‘smart bomb’ breakthrough to be piloted in Yorkshire

The “smart bomb” treatment is being developed by scientists in the region to target more than one tumour at a time, regardless of cancer type.

Experts say the drug, which has already delivered “remarkable results” in laboratory tests, is unlike anything currently used in cancer treatment.

Bradford University Professor Laurence Patterson, who is leading the research team, said the breakthrough was “unprecedented” in his 25 years of cancer research.

Academics are now hoping to launch clinical trials at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds within 18 months.

The work has been partly funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

The drug which is being developed remains inactive until it is triggered by a growing tumour accessing blood supply. Once it detects this it releases a potent anti-cancer agent which destroys the tumour’s blood vessels, causing it to starve to death – without having side effects on healthy tissue.

Prof Patterson director of Bradford’s Institute for Cancer Therapeutics (ICT), said: “What we’ve designed is, effectively, a ‘smart bomb’ that can be targeted directly at any solid tumour to kill it without appearing to harm healthy tissue.”

If successful the new drug would be the first of its kind to be able to seek out tumours and destroy them. Five different types of cancer have been tested in the laboratory so far – breast, colon, lung, sarcoma and prostate – with no adverse effects observed. In one study, half of the mice showed total remission after one dose.

Prof Patterson said: “We have to remain cautious until we can prove the same remarkable effects in clinical trials but ultimately, if all goes well, we would hope to see this drug used as part of a combination of therapies to treat and manage cancer.”