Polyvinyl acetate (PVA glue), commonly used in woodcraft projects contains a key ingredient that researchers believe may have potential in treating cancer.
As per Science Alert, a study led by the University of Tokyo in Japan revealed that polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a compound found in PVA glue, can enhance radiation therapy for head and neck cancers.
When added to the treatment mixture, it helps better target tumour cells, minimizing risk to healthy cells and also reducing side effects.
The senior author of the study, Takahiro Nomoto, a biomedical engineer from the University of Tokyo, said in a statement, "We discovered that [polyvinyl alcohol], which is used in liquid glue, dramatically improves the efficacy of a compound called D-BPA, that until now has been removed from drug ingredients because it was considered useless.”
In boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a cancer treatment, patients receive a drug that targets tumour cells.
Researchers enhanced the performance of an important component in the BNCT drug, called L-BPA, by adding PVA. This addition made the drug more effective in delivering boron to tumour cells.
L-BPA, while effective sometimes enters healthy cells potentially causing harm and to address this issue, researchers have now shifted their focus to a related compound D-BPA.
D-BPA was not used in cancer treatment ever because it doesn’t naturally build up in cancer cells like L-BPA.
However, when combined with PVA, researchers discovered that D-BPA could accumulate boron in tumours even more effectively.
While, more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of this approach, early lab tests show positive results.
