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Researchers at MIT have developed an experimental technology called HITMAN (highly-localized electric-field-induced tumor therapy using magnetically actuated nanoantennas), which uses tiny injectable devices to generate localized electric fields that kill cancer cells. The approximately 150-nanometer devices can be activated wirelessly from outside the body using a low-frequency magnetic field. In early preclinical experiments using patient-derived, chemotherapy-resistant glioblastoma cells, HITMAN killed 52.2% of cancer cells, while sparing healthy neurons and astrocytes.
The researchers then implanted the patient-derived tumors into the brains of mice. HITMAN substantially slowed tumor growth and extended median survival, with no detectable toxicity to surrounding healthy tissue or major organs. The treatment also reduced the ability of tumor cells to form new colonies, suggesting potential to reduce recurrence. The researchers believe the localized electric fields disrupt cancer cells' bioelectric activity and cause protein-folding stress and membrane damage, ultimately leading to cell death. The technology has not yet been tested in humans, but it is an interesting new approach for electrical field therapy.