Magnetic Pulses Can Make Breast Cancer Chemo More Effective: Study

NUS team hopes to conduct more clinical studies to test method proven in lab

- Shabana Begum

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have found that non-invasive magnetic pulses can enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy for breast cancer, and potentially reduce side effects for patients.

The use of brief, targeted magnetic pulses on cancer cells can increase their absorption of the widely used chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.

With more of the drug entering the tumor to shrink it, a smaller amount remains in circulation in the body to attack healthy cells, thus reducing the often debilitating side effects of chemotherapy, said Associate Professor Alfredo Franco-Obregon, principal investigator at the NUS Institute for Health Innovation and Technology.

A 10-minute magnetic field exposure in the laboratory also reduces the concentration of the chemotherapy drug by half.

"What's promising is that this mechanism works strongest at low drug concentrations, enabling us to target cancer cells more effectively while reducing the burden of chemotherapy on healthy tissues," said Prof Franco-Obregon.

While this method has been proven in the lab, Assistant Professor Joline Lim of the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore – who is also part of the research team – hopes to conduct more clinical studies to determine if these findings apply to the human body.