Rao Wei, Liu Jing
Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
Minim Invasive Ther Allied Technol. 2008;17(1):43-9. doi: 10.1080/13645700701803826.
The aim of this study is to demonstrate a new tumor thermal ablation therapy, which might lead to a highly economic, safe and efficient heating of target tissues. The alkali metals, usually seen as hazard mediums in daily life, were proposed for the first time as perfect self-heating seeds which can significantly raise the temperature of the tumor tissues. Owing to the tremendous heat released at only the target site during reaction between the metal and the intrinsically existing wet environment of the biological body, the tumor tissues can be efficiently ablated without causing thermal damage to the surrounding healthy tissues. Several conceptual experiments were performed to demonstrate the new thermal ablation principle. Mammary adenocarcinoma cells in culture were found to be quickly destroyed due to the thermal and chemical effects induced by the alkali metal. Further, a significant temperature increase by a magnitude of > 40 degrees C or even combustion has been found easily available at the target site; this temperature increase produces a sufficiently large coagulation and necrosis area within selected areas either for in vitro or in vivo tests. The unique merit of the present thermal ablation therapy is that its remaining reactant can be absorbed by the tissue itself without causing any damage. This study opens possibilities of using the alkali metals to thermally ablate the target tumor in future clinical applications.
本研究的目的是展示一种新的肿瘤热消融疗法，该疗法可能会实现对靶组织高度经济、安全且高效的加热。碱金属在日常生活中通常被视为危险介质，但首次被提议作为完美的自热种子，能够显著提高肿瘤组织的温度。由于金属与生物体内固有湿环境发生反应时仅在靶位点释放大量热量，肿瘤组织能够被有效消融，而不会对周围健康组织造成热损伤。进行了多项概念验证实验以证明这种新的热消融原理。培养的乳腺腺癌细胞因碱金属诱导的热效应和化学效应而迅速被破坏。此外，已发现靶位点很容易出现高达40多摄氏度的显著温度升高甚至燃烧；这种温度升高在体外或体内测试的选定区域内产生了足够大的凝固和坏死区域。当前热消融疗法的独特优点在于其剩余反应物可被组织自身吸收而不会造成任何损伤。本研究为未来临床应用中使用碱金属热消融靶肿瘤开辟了可能性。
