Scientists have developed an experimental strategy that exploits a chemical byproduct of cancer cells to produce anticancer drugs directly inside them.

Scientists in Japan have developed an experimental method that uses a chemical produced by cancer cells to manufacture anticancer drugs directly inside them. The approach relies on carbon monoxide, a toxic gas that certain tumors produce in unusually high amounts, to activate a chemical reaction designed to destroy cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy tissue.

In a proof-of-concept study published in Nature Communications, researchers at the RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI) demonstrated that their system could generate drug compounds selectively in cultured cancer cells. The findings suggest a possible alternative to conventional chemotherapy, although the technique has not yet been tested in animals or humans.