The Fight Against Cancer Cells Has Become Even More Effective: An Innovative Discovery by Israeli Scientists

The invention developed by a group of researchers from Tel Aviv University will allow for the removal of malignant tumors with greater precision, minimizing the possibility of damaging healthy tissues. The results of this discovery have become a true breakthrough in the field of oncology and were published in one of the authoritative global scientific journals, Theranostics.

Within the walls of Israel's leading research center and one of its largest educational institutions, Tel Aviv University, a sensor was developed that enables high-precision differentiation of cancer cells. A highly sensitive agent, administered to the patient a few hours before surgery, triggers a reaction in atypical molecules, causing them to literally glow. This helps doctors more clearly define the boundaries of the malignant neoplasm and remove all cancer cells from the pathological focus.

The research was led by renowned Israeli professor Ronit Sachi-Fainaro, who has already made revolutionary discoveries, including a drug that halts cancer progression. Together with doctoral students from Tel Aviv University (Yana Epstein, Rachel Blau, and Evgeny Pisarevsky), the professor invented a method not only to block the spread of malignant cells but to destroy them completely, minimizing the likelihood of disease recurrence.

The Essence of the Discovery

Based on the results of previous studies, the group of scientists identified one significant difference in cancer cells, namely the increased content of enzymes from the cathepsin group. In healthy cells, they are present in small amounts and can recognize specific amino acid sequences and subsequently cleave them. This feature is the basis for the invented method of tumor cell differentiation.

Experiments were conducted on laboratory mice that were induced with two oncopathologies (melanoma and breast cancer), which provoke the development of metastases in the lungs and brain. The test subjects were also divided into two groups. One group underwent neoplasm removal using the conventional method, without the sensor, while the other group used the invented method for visualizing cancer cells.

The results were indeed impressive. Among the mice in the first group, the 120-day survival rate was only 40%. Many of them experienced disease recurrence and the emergence of metastases. The survival rates in the second group were twice as high, meaning that approximately 80% of the rodents lived for 120 days after the operation.

What the Discovery by Israeli Scientists Offers

Although some visualization methods for malignant cells are already used in oncological practice, the invention by the scientists from Israel is more progressive and effective. Compared to other sensors used in operating rooms during tumor removal, the new method works much faster (the substance is administered only 4 hours before the surgical intervention), and its specificity to atypical molecules is significantly higher.

It is expected that once surgeries begin to be performed en masse using this sensor, the survival rates of cancer patients will significantly increase. Furthermore, many of them will have greater chances of complete recovery. Currently, the scientists are working on patent registration and negotiating with medical companies to expand trials and refine the method.