Indian Scientists Develop 'Smart' Cancer Drug RK-251

Researchers from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology and IIT Guwahati have developed an experimental cancer drug, RK-251, designed to activate specifically within tumour cells.

The drug exploits high levels of reactive oxygen species found in cancer cells to release the active anticancer compound NBDHEX, potentially reducing damage to healthy tissue compared to conventional chemotherapy.

Preclinical tests on triple-negative breast cancer cells and zebrafish embryos showed the compound effectively targeted cancer cells while demonstrating no obvious signs of toxicity in healthy tissue.