Canadian cancer researchers have created an experimental injectable “biogel” that has been found to destroy tumor cells in laboratory studies.

The advance, developed by the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, could lead to a new weapon in the war on cancer by providing a game-changing delivery system for tumor-killing agents.

“The strength of this biogel is that it is compatible with anti-cancer immune cells,” said said Réjean Lapointe, co-author of a study on the technology, showcased in the journal Biomaterials.

“It is used to encapsulate these cells and eventually administer them using a syringe or catheter into the tumor or directly beside it. Instead of injecting these cells or anti-cancer drugs throughout the entire body via the bloodstream, we can treat the cancer locally. We hope that this targeted approach will improve current immunotherapies."

The biogel was developed by Sophie Lerouge, a researcher at the Montreal center and professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the École de technologie supérieure.

“The compound is made from chitosane, a biodegradable material extracted from the shells of crustaceans, to which gelling agents are added,” she explained. “The formulation is liquid at room temperature, which facilitates its injection, but quickly takes on a cohesive and resistant structure [in the body].

“We also needed a hydrogel that was non-toxic for the body and provided excellent survival and growth of the encapsulated cells.”

Researchers now hope to test the safety and effectiveness of the gel in animal studies and clinical trials involving cancer patients.