When Ajay Tijore was a postdoctoral researcher in mechanobiologist Michael Sheetz’s lab at the National University of Singapore, he and his team studied how mechanical strain affected cancer cells. A few years ago, the researchers found that low-frequency ultrasound waves triggered mechanical stress that killed several invasive cancer cell types.1 “That was kind of a big revelation… Eureka moment,” said Tijore.
When he started his own lab at the Indian Institute of Science in 2021, Tijore hoped to contribute to Indian society. With India accounting for one-third of the oral cancer cases worldwide, Tijore sought to investigate whether low-frequency ultrasound could also target oral cancer cells.2
Now, Tijore and his team found that patient-derived oral cancer cells are susceptible to low-frequency ultrasound due to their distinct biomechanical properties compared to healthy cells.3 The team’s findings, published in Materials Today Bio, highlight the potential of the non-invasive approach in oral cancer therapy.