Halifax Firm Reports Breakthrough Cancer Therapy Results

A Halifax-based life sciences company, Sona Nanotech, has announced promising results from a recent study on a novel cancer therapy. The research focused on using targeted hyperthermia therapy (THT) to treat patients with metastatic melanoma who had not responded to conventional immunotherapy treatments.

Dr. Carman Giacomantonio, a researcher and surgical oncologist involved in the study, detailed the innovative approach. “We’ve taken gold nanoparticles, nanorods measuring one billionth of a meter, and inserted them into tumors. By passing infrared light over them, the nanorods convert the light into heat, making the tumor more visible to the immune system,” he explained.

Giacomantonio emphasized the challenge posed by the tumor core, which he likened to a fortress that protects cancer cells from attacks. He highlighted that heating the microenvironment of the tumor can lead to cancer cell stress and eventual death. This method has yielded significant results, with 80% of trial participants experiencing measurable tumor responses within just two weeks. Notably, six of those patients achieved complete tumor elimination.

Next Steps for Sona Nanotech

The study is set to continue in the spring of 2024, with plans for a more in-depth analysis of treatment responses and reasons for any lack of effectiveness. Giacomantonio mentioned that the research will expand beyond melanoma to include other cancer types, such as head and neck cancers, colon cancer, rectal cancer, and prostate cancer.

While the preliminary results are encouraging, Giacomantonio cautioned that it may be several years before patients can rely on THT as a standard treatment. “It’s a three-to-five-year process before we can expect to gain approval for any specific cancer indication,” he stated. He added that establishing THT as a competitive therapy compared to existing treatments is essential for its future use.

Sona Nanotech plans to share more detailed findings through a webinar available on its YouTube page, allowing the public and medical communities to stay informed about this groundbreaking research. The implications of these developments are significant, as they could change the landscape of cancer treatment in the coming years.