Research News
Oral Buffer Reduces Tumor Metastasis
Less than a year ago, a research team from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute Physical Sciences-Oncology Center (Moffitt PS-OC) published the results of a modeling study suggesting that manipulating the extracellular acidity near tumors could prevent metastases from developing, thereby prolonging patient survival (click here for earlier story). Now, this team has demonstrated in animal studies that oral intake of a non-toxic buffer solution significantly reduces the number of lung metastases arising from primary prostate tumors.
Reporting its work in the journal Clinical and Experimental Metastasis, a research team headed by Robert Gatenby and Robert Gillies, the principal investigator and senior scientific investigator, respectively, of the Moffitt PS-OC, showed that consistent oral intake of a buffer known as IEPA produced a mild but meaningful increase in the pH of prostate tumors growing in mice. Mice given IEPA in their drinking water showed no ill effects from this treatment, and magnetic resonance images confirmed that the buffer had indeed been absorbed into the blood stream.
Data from these experiments did not demonstrate conclusively that tumors grew more slowly in animals drinking IEPA. However, the treated animals had far fewer metastases in the lungs than did the control animals.
The investigators note that human clinical trials are currently underway to test whether sodium bicarbonate, another buffer, can produce similar results in cancer patients. These trials, however, are suffering from low compliance because of the strong, unpleasant taste of this buffer. IEPA is not only tasteless, but is also a more potent buffer.
This work, which is detailed in a paper titled, "Reduction of metastasis using a non-volatile buffer," was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute's Physical Sciences in Oncology initiative, a program that aims to foster the development of innovative ideas and new fields of study based on knowledge of the biological and physical laws and principles that define both normal and tumor systems. An abstract of this paper is available at the journal's Web site.
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