By Holly Smith

for KansasLiberty.com

Kansas State University has announced it has received a $380,000 grant to help further a form of stem-cell research that could revolutionize how cancer is treated.

The grant, which was awarded by the National Institutes of Health, will assist three K-State affiliated researchers, Deryl Troyer, professor of anatomy and physiology at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine; Duy Hua, distinguished professor of chemistry; and Masaaki Tamura, associate professor of anatomy and physiology. 

The scientists have been using adult stem cells, harvested from an umbilical cord, to administer cancer-fighting drugs directly to cancer tissue.

“These are basically smart bombs at the cellular level,” said Dr. David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences at the Family Research Council. “This allows you to target the tumor, release the drug and deliver a high concentration of the drug directly to the tumor.”

According to Tamura, stem cells are filled with cancer-fighting medicine through a process called nanotechnology.  Nanotechnology is the utilization of extremely small particles for various purposes, in this case for the purpose of carrying medication. 

The medicated stem cells are then injected directly into the cancer tissue.  The stem cells die shortly after injection allowing the medicine to escape and penetrate the tissue.

An important advantage in using this form of treatment is that it would offer relief from many of the side effects cancer patients suffer from due to chemotherapy.

“Because the stem cell can’t carry a huge amount of chemicals and because that chemical is released directly into the tumor, the side effects of this procedure would be significantly less than those with chemotherapy,” Tamura said.

The stem cells are also an effective form of treatment because of their natural tendency to migrate to a tumor.

“The cancer cells and the stem cells are in a way interacting and calling to each other,” Tamura said. “The cancer tissue releases some chemical and then the stem cell responds to that chemical by migrating to it.”

Tamura said this therapy is currently being tested in a human cancer mouse model.  This type of research is done by injecting a mouse with a human cancer cell and then treating the cancer with the therapeutic stem cells.  Tamura said human testing is still years away from FDA approval 

“Human application is so far away because everyone wants it to be absolutely safe for the humans,” he said.

The stem cells that are being used in this experiment were harvested from a solid part of the umbilical cord, called Wharton’s jelly.  Tamura said these cells are especially helpful because of their wide range of abilities. 

“This type of stem cell is more primitive so it is very usable,” he said.

Another positive aspect of using adult stem cells is the fact that they are uncontroversial, unlike embryonic stem cells. The difference between the two is the location from which they are collected. While adult stem cells can be harvested from an umbilical cord, or amniotic fluid, embryonic stem cells are harvested from an embryo in the blastocyst stage, which destroys the embryo.

Opponents of embryonic stem cell research argue this type of research destroys human life. However, Mary Kay Culp, executive director for Kansans for Life, said that although she was ardently opposed to embryonic stem cell research she did not feel anyone should have a conflict with adult stem cell research.

“We highly encourage adult stem cell research because you don’t have to destroy any embryos to get them,” Culp said. 

According to a statement issued by the university, the cells can be harvested non-invasively and therefore are not controversial.

"Billions and billions of these cells are disposed of every day," Troyer said. "We think these cells have a lot of advantages, including their ability to be harvested in large numbers very rapidly."

Troyer said the stem cells display a sort of homing ability in that they tend to travel to tumors and other pathological lesions. The researchers are using these stem cells as delivery systems by loading the cells with nanoparticles that contain anti-cancer drugs.

"We are using the cells as stealth vehicles," Troyer said.

Hua is fabricating the nanoparticles and some of the small-molecule drugs for the research, the statement said. The tiny capsules carrying the drugs are nanogels made up of two polymers. The nanogel has a dye molecule that allows the researchers to follow it through the body using a fluorescent microscope.

The university explained that the nanogel capsules are loaded into a stem cell, which responds to proteins sent out by the cancer cells by homing to them, Hua said. As the stem cells reach the cancer tissues, another chemical that induces cell death of the stem cells will be administered -- only stem cells are engineered to respond to this additional drug. This means that the nanogel-encapsulated drugs will be released from the stem cells directly at the cancer tissue.

"The nanogel can be viewed as a very tiny piece of paper that wraps around the anti-cancer drug like a candy wrapper," Hua said. "Over time or under certain conditions, the paper unwraps and releases the candy. Most anti-cancer drugs, including ours, are insoluble in water. However, the nanogel is water soluble."

Prentice said research using adult stem cells is proving important medical advancements every day.

“Thousands of patients are alive today because of adult stem cells,” he said. 

Prentice said the research being done at K-State is impressive on the national level.

“They are leaders especially in the terms of using this Wharton’s jelly and this speaks very well of the folks at that institution and of the state of Kansas as well,” he said.

The award was made several weeks ago, but not announced until after the grant was finalized, according to spokesperson for K-State, Erinn Barcomb-Peterson.

• Read the K-State announcement here. Portions of this report appeared first in the university statement.