Cancer is a serious disease that may result in mortality and is one of the leading causes of death in the world. In general, there are 3 factors that play a part in increasing cancer risk: genetic factors, exposure to carcinogens (radiation, chemical substance, virus, hormones), and lifestyle (alcohol, smoking, physical activity, diet). Cancerous cells result from an abnormal growth of previously healthy cells. There are a lot of cancer types based on its location of origin, including lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the most feared malignant cancer types. In this disease, the cancerous cells attack endometrium, the lining of the uterus. The golden standard of treatment for cervical cancer is hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus, causing the patient to be unable to bear children. Depending on the stage of the disease, there are cases where cervical cancer is still manageable by administration of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or targeted drug delivery system.

With targeted drug delivery system, the challenge is finding a carrier that can reach the cancerous cells. Previous experiments that use stem cells and bacteria as the carrier face the difficulty in reaching the cancerous cells before the immune system reacts and eliminate the drugs. Scientists from Institute for Integrative Nanosciences in Germany recently conducted an in vitro study that suggests that sperm cells can be used as an alternative carrier.

In the study, the scientists loaded a common anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride, with bovine sperm cells as the carrier. Guided magnetically, the sperm was led to laboratory-cultured cancerous cells. It successfully passed through the sperm-cancer cell membrane fusion and delivered the drugs. The drugs then managed to eliminate 80% of the cancerous cells.

To be able to use sperm as a carrier for drug delivery system in treating cancers, particularly cervical cancer, in humans would require further research. Having said that, this study has proven that sperm is a potent carrier in carrying drugs. Sperm cells neither contain pathogenic proteins nor form undesirable colonies—unlike other cells or microorganisms—making them beneficial in targeted drug delivery.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Scottcountyiowa.com

Source(s):

• Xu, H., Sanchez, M. M., Magdanz, V. et al (2017). Harnessing sperm to treat gynaecological diseases. ACS Nano, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b06398