Yorkshire scientists develop new cancer treatment

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have created a compound that could improve the success rate of photodynamic therapy (PDT), a cancer treatment which involves a light-sensitive medicine which, when activated, kills tumour cells.

The current treatment has two main drawbacks, as it cannot reach deep tissue and is not that effective in tumours that do not have much oxygen present.

The new compound is based on infrared light, which penetrates deeper and can work with lower levels of oxygen in the tissue.

Professor Jim Thomas, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Chemistry, who led the study said: “PDT is potentially a very attractive way to treat diseases such as skin cancer as it only works when the laser light is applied, so the effect can be focused into a specific place on or in the body.

“The sensitizer we have developed can potentially solve the two main problems that prevent PDT from being a commonly used anticancer treatment.”

The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, was carried out by scientists from the University of Sheffield’s Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering and the Science and Technology Facilities Council Central Laser Facility.