Collaborative research led by Dr Asis Bala from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, and Dr. K.P. Bhabak from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati has developed a new “smart” cancer drug called RK-251. Recently, the Ministry of Science & Technology shared details of RK-251. In this context, let’s know what makes RK-251 a new smart cancer drug.
Key Takeaways:
1. RK-251 is a cancer drug designed to activate primarily in cancer cells and does not harm healthy cell. The Ministry of Science & Technology has shared details of the drug, which is designed to exploit a feature of cancer cells: they often have higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), molecules that can be harmful when present in excess. Researchers have used this difference to create a drug that can be activated preferentially inside cancer cells.
2. The approach could potentially make cancer treatment more selective and reduce damage to healthy cells. “A new ‘smart’ cancer drug designed to switch on and work only inside cancer cells can replace traditional chemotherapy, which in many cases also harms healthy cells,” the ministry said in a press statement.
3. When RK-251 enters a cancer cell with high ROS levels, these molecules trigger the drug’s activation, releasing an anticancer compound called NBDHEX.
4. NBDHEX blocks target proteins that many cancer cells use to survive and resist treatment. The idea is to keep RK-251 relatively inactive in normal tissues and activate its anticancer action inside cancer cells.
5. Notably, conventional cancer treatment can affect healthy cells along with cancer cells, contributing to side effects. A treatment that can distinguish between the two more selectively could potentially reduce this problem.
6. The ROS-based approach could potentially improve treatment selectivity, but cancer biology is complex and the drug’s ability to spare healthy tissue needs to be demonstrated through further studies.
7. Before RK-251 can be considered for use in patients, researchers will need to establish its safety, determine an appropriate dose, understand how it behaves in the human body and find out whether it can produce meaningful tumour responses.
8. Even if human trials eventually show that RK-251 is safe and effective, it would more likely become another option in cancer treatment rather than completely replace chemotherapy.
9. For now, RK-251 remains an experimental drug candidate. Its ability to activate primarily in cancer cells is promising, but whether that translates into a safe and effective treatment for patients will depend on further research and human clinical trials.
What is Chemotherapy?
10. Chemotherapy is widely used for the treatment of cancer, in which powerful drugs are used to kill or slow the growth of rapidly multiplying cancer cells.
11. The medicine can be administered through an IV drip, injections, pills, or, in some cases, creams. However, sometimes these drugs can also interfere with the divisions of healthy cells, leading to side effects such as hair loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of appetite, and weakened immunity, among others.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign on 28th February for girls aged 14, aimed at preventing cervical cancer, during his visit to Ajmer, Rajasthan. Cervical cancers are the second most common type of cancer among women in India.
2. HPV is a common, sexually-transmitted infection. Only certain forms of the virus progress to cancer. HPV immunisation in the teenage years — when girls are going through puberty but are not sexually active — results in better and longer immunity.
3. While the body’s immune system usually gets rid of the HPV infection naturally within two years, in a small percentage of people the virus can linger over time and turn some normal cells into abnormal cells and then cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
4. There are at least 14 types of HPV that can potentially cause cancer. Among these, HPV types 16 and 18 are considered to be the most likely to lead to tumour development, causing about 70% of all cervical cancer cases globally. The vaccines work by preventing the entry of two, four or nine of the most common types of HPV.
5. The government is giving quadrivalent Gardasil vaccine free to 14-year-old girls at government facilities nationwide — a step made possible through partnership with Gavi, the vaccine alliance. This is also aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030 by vaccinating 90% of girls before age 15.
6. Officials say that the government may switch to Serum Institute of India’s Cerevac which is India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV). It provides protection against HPV types 16, 18, 6 and 11.
Post Read Question
The “RK-251,” which is the news, is a:
(a) Gene-editing therapy designed to correct cancer-causing mutations
(b) Monoclonal antibody developed to stimulate the immune system against tumours
(c) Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-activated prodrug for targeted cancer treatment
(d) Nanoparticle-based drug delivery system for transporting chemotherapy drugs
Answer Key
(c)
(Sources: RK-251: What we know about India’s new ‘smart’ cancer drug that ‘could replace chemotherapy’ Knowledge Nugget: India launches HPV vaccination drive to prevent cervical cancer)
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RK-251 could potentially make cancer treatment more selective and reduce damage to healthy cells. (Image: AI-generated) 
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