Lattes & Pop Rocks Inspire Whipping Up Of Tumor-Fighting Foam

Gastronomical foam is not just a great way to level up a dish by adding a dollop of airy texture to your dessert or coffee; it could also one day fight cancer.
 

Tumors grow resistant to chemotherapy and radiation by depriving themselves of oxygen in a hypoxic state. As a counter to this, researchers are deploying hyperbaric oxygen therapy to reintroduce the gas into tumors and break them down.

 
The only issue is that there is no safe way to deliver oxygen in a controlled manner. One team comprising academics from the University of Iowa Health Care, the Harvard Medical School, MIT, and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center think the answer could have been in the hands of baristas all along.

According to a study published in Advanced Science, edible substances and gases were mixed and placed into a traditional whipping siphon often seen at Starbucks locations or grocery stores to dish out oxygenated foam known as GeMs (gas-entrapping materials). The team also experimented with a polymer consisting of natural carbohydrates, which is very similar to the makeup of Pop Rocks.
 
The GeMs only use three ingredients—gas, plus foaming and thickening agents. Gas is incorporated into these biocompatible materials through a custom-built pressurized system. The resulting substance can then be injected directly into a tumor, where there can be a prolonged controlled release of the substance.
 
The foam was injected into mice with prostate cancer and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). The researchers found that tumors eventually became more responsive to chemotherapy and radiation in both situations.

Thanks to the use of safe and edible materials, the team believes the foam can be a likely candidate for treating cancer.
 
 
 
[via New Atlas and TechTimes, images from various sources]