Researchers from the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP) have developed an “innovative method” for oral administration that, based on kiwi, allows the treatment of side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiation therapy in cancer patients, it became known this Wednesday.
The project, called Kiwi4Health, aims to “bring relief to thousands of cancer patients” and “revolutionize the treatment” of oral mucositis, a complication associated with cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy, ISEP said in a statement.
Oral mucositis, characterized by erythematous and ulcerative lesions of the oral mucosa, causes severe pain.
Currently, treatment is short-term and often requires the use of painkillers that “provide only temporary relief.”
“It is estimated that 40 to 80% of patients treated with traditional chemotherapy, and almost all of those treated with radiation therapy, suffer from this often disabling disease,” he states.
More recent studies have indicated the beneficial potential of polyphenols found in fruits, especially kiwi, for the treatment of oral mucositis.
Taking advantage of these advances, ISEP researchers have developed “an innovative method for creating a buccal film using bioactive compounds extracted from kiwifruit by-products.”
Researcher Francisca Rodriguez, cited in the statement, said the process involves green extraction techniques using water and encapsulated bioactive compounds, resulting in “a product that can be easily applied to the oral mucosa, providing long-lasting and effective relief.”
“The in vitro tests in oral models combined with the in vivo animal tests we have already conducted with the extract are very promising, pointing to new hope for patients suffering from this disease condition,” says the researcher. .
The development of this method represents a “positive approach to the prevention and treatment of side effects” of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, “distinguished by the use of natural and sustainable ingredients.”
“The buccal film demonstrated rapid dissolution ability and allowed the transfer of compounds,” says the researcher.
The project, funded by the Science and Technology Foundation, involves researchers from REQUIMTE and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto, and a partner is already interested in commercializing the adhesive mucosal film.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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