scientists revolutionize chemotherapy

It is a revolution that could well change the daily lives of the 347,000 French people suffering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. Until now, this heavy treatment required a visit to the hospital. But American and French researchers, supervised by the CNRS, are paving the way for subcutaneous chemotherapy. Objective: to inject chemotherapy as a diabetic would inject insulin without having a small box implanted under the skin, permanently connected to a vein. To achieve this, the scientists modified an active ingredient to allow it to pass into the blood without stagnating under the skin.

“We actually modified this active ingredient and we attached it to a polymer chain, that is to say, to a macromolecule”, explains Julien Nicolas, research director at the CNRS and responsible for the study. “This polymeric active principle will be soluble in water and it will migrate from the subcutaneous tissues to the bloodstream, as for conventional chemotherapy injected intravenously. But we will have gone through the subcutaneous route”, he adds.

“It could be a big step forward”

This discovery could revolutionize access to chemotherapy and improve patient comfort. “The gesture is simple to perform. There is no need for qualified personnel or specialized infrastructure. There is no a priori need for hospitalization. So leave the patients at home and allow them to receive their treatment at home with a simple subcutaneous injection, that could be a big step forward.”

Now, Julien Nicolas and other researchers hope to raise two and a half million euros to begin clinical trials within two years.