4 min readBengaluruJul 22, 2026 09:29 AM IST
First published on: Jul 22, 2026 at 06:45 AM IST
In a recent scientific breakthrough, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, in collaboration with the MS Ramaiah Medical College, have discovered potential applications of an ultrasound stimulation technology in treating oral cancer.
Given the prevalence of chewable tobacco products, oral cancer is a significant health concern in India, accounting for about 1 in 4 of all global cases. The study, titled “Revealing biomechanical vulnerabilities in oral cancer cells using 3D coculture platform and low-frequency ultrasound”, was published in the journal Materials Today Bio.
What were the findings?
The study used samples taken from 15 patients with Stage 4 oral cancer. It found that oral cancer cells were selectively vulnerable to Low Frequency Ultrasound (LFU) mechanostimulation, a non-invasive procedure.
The team used a “3D co-culture platform” that essentially mimicked the environment of a tumour. Cancer cells form a barrier-like structure around the centre of a solid tumour, which normally blocks infiltration by drugs and immune cells. The treatment focused on breaking down these cells.
According to assistant professor Ajay Tijore, corresponding author of the study, high-frequency ultrasound is widely used in medicine (mostly for diagnostic and imaging purposes), but it has relatively low penetration depth in the body — only upto a few centimetres. Another type is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), which generates heat to “burn” cells in cases such as prostate cancer, which has certain side effects.
On the other hand, Low Frequency Ultrasound Mechanostimulation is quite novel in terms of application in the field of oral cancer.
The first author of the study, PhD student Rashmita Luha, said, “What surprised us most was the consistency of the response across cancer cells derived from multiple patients from different cancer stages. They were highly vulnerable to ultrasound, while normal cells were much less affected.”
The reason for this selective effect on cancer cells without affecting normal ones was the presence of a protein called Tropomyosin 2.1, which is present in normal cells but found at a lower level in cancer cells. Professor Tijore said, “Due to the loss of these proteins… when you apply such LFU mechanical stimulation from the outside, cancer cells cannot withstand these forces.”
What applications could it have?
A 2024 study in the journal Oral Oncology stated that Indians have a five-year survival rate of 50% after treatment, compared with 68% in developed nations. The rate refers to the likelihood of survival after detection, seen in relation to the population without cancer.
According to Tamil Nadu-based oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr Senthil Kumar, people seeking oral cancer treatment in India currently face several challenges, such as high costs.
“Another issue is identifying the case at earlier stages, and for patients to seek early treatment. Educating patients and inculcating awareness is also important… if there is a benign lesion in the mouth, it has to be followed and evaluated every 3 to 6 months,” he said. Generally, treatment includes a combination of surgery and radiation, and chemotherapy.
Before its use, the new IISC ultrasound technology must also consider potential problems, Dr Kumar said. “On application of pressure, the spillage of cancer cells into neighbouring tissues is the biggest concern. Most surgical-onco treatments like neck dissection (to remove lymph nodes from the neck) are designed based on this consideration.”
The new LFU method could be used across different cancer treatments, such as breast cancer and melanoma (a type of skin cancer). Professor Tijore said, “This is because these are the relatively superficial cancers which could be monitored easily compared to tumours located deep inside the body.” IISC has also patented the ultrasound technology.
The team used a “3D co-culture platform” that essentially mimicked the environment of a tumour. Cancer cells form a barrier-like structure around the centre of a solid tumour, which normally blocks infiltration by drugs and immune cells. The treatment focused on breaking down these cells.
Share
