Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have found that low-frequency ultrasound can selectively destroy oral cancer cells while largely sparing healthy tissue, pointing to a potential non-invasive treatment option for one of India’s most common cancers. Oral cancer is a major public health concern in the country, driven primarily by high rates of tobacco and areca nut use, and current treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy often damage healthy cells along with tumours, causing significant side effects.
In the new study, IISc scientists worked with clinicians from MS Ramaiah Medical College and Hospitals to test low-frequency ultrasound on oral tumour samples taken directly from patients, rather than conventional lab-grown cell lines, to reflect better the genetic and biological diversity seen among Indian patients. “The researchers found that oral cancer cells were highly vulnerable to the moderate mechanical forces generated by ultrasound. The study suggests this is because the cells have reduced levels of Tropomyosin 2.1, a protein that helps normal cells sense and withstand mechanical stress. When exposed to ultrasound, the cancer cells underwent selective cell death, while healthy oral epithelial cells were largely unaffected,” IISc said in a statement on Thursday.
Ajay Tijore, Assistant Professor at IISc’s Department of Bioengineering and the study’s corresponding author, said the novelty of the work lies in showing how ultrasound mechanostimulation can exploit the mechanical weakness of oral cancer cells. “Instead of using heat or drugs, this approach uses moderate mechanical forces to damage cancer cells beyond their ability to recover,” he explained. The study also showed that ultrasound significantly reduced the ability of cancer cells to migrate and invade nearby tissue, an important factor in limiting tumour spread.
Using a three-dimensional co-culture model that mimics the tumour environment, the researchers observed that ultrasound disrupted the dense protective barrier surrounding tumour cells, which often prevents medicines and immune cells from reaching the tumour and reduces treatment effectiveness. “What surprised us most was the consistency of the response across cancer cells derived from multiple patients from different cancer stages. They were highly vulnerable to ultrasound, while normal cells were much less affected,” said Rashmita Luha, a PhD student at IISc and the study’s first author.
Because ultrasound is already widely used in medicine and is non-invasive, the team believes the findings could pave the way for safer, more targeted therapies for oral cancer. The researchers now plan to test the approach in more advanced preclinical models and explore combining ultrasound with existing treatments to improve drug delivery and treatment outcomes. With further validation, they say this strategy may help develop less invasive, more precise treatment options not only for oral cancer but also for other easily accessible cancers such as breast and skin cancers.
