Method for ion transfer between inside and outside of cells

Abstract

To provide a physical therapy for malignant tumors that is gentle to a living body, inexpensive, and highly effective.SOLUTION: Malignant cells are killed by: forming micropores in the malignant cells by shock wave irradiation, focused high-intensity ultrasound irradiation, photoimmunotherapy, or simultaneous application of microbubbles and ultrasound; and diffusing hydrogen ions, which are present in a large amount in an extracellular fluid of the malignant cells, into the malignant cells by Lorentz force.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the physical therapy of malignant tumors. [Background technology]

[0002] Photoimmunotherapy, a conventional physical therapy for malignant tumors, is a highly effective method in which malignant cells are tagged with antibodies and irradiated with near-infrared light, but irradiating deep lesions requires invasive procedures. Furthermore, it is necessary to manufacture antibodies tailored to each malignant cell, which makes the method expensive. Research is also being conducted into a method in which microbubbles are injected into malignant tumor tissue, and ultrasonic waves are applied thereto to crush the microbubbles, thereby damaging the cell membranes of the surrounding malignant tumor cells and killing the malignant tumor. However, since malignant tumors tend to recur unless they are completely eradicated, the treatment was not effective enough.

[0003] Therefore, there was a need for an inexpensive and effective physical therapy for malignant tumors that would selectively act only on malignant tumors and would not place a burden on the body. [Prior art documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2020-142046 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2023-086641 [Non-Patent Document 1] Nikkei BP special https: / / special.nikkeibp.co.jp [Non-patent document 2] Cancer Plus https: / / cancer.qlife.jp / [Non-patent document 3] Kobunsha Shinsho Written by Hisataka Kobayashi Photoimmunotherapy Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although the treatment of malignant tumors is very costly and burdensome to the body, many of the treatments have been ineffective.

[0006] The method of the present invention aims to solve the problems associated with conventional malignant tumor treatment methods, and to provide an inexpensive and effective physical therapy for malignant tumors that places less strain on the body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the method of the present invention applies shock waves, photoimmunization, or ultrasound to microbubbles to crush them, thereby generating heat and creating microjets to open small holes in the cell membranes of malignant tumor cells. The holes are then simultaneously irradiated with a magnetic field and sound waves, which exert a Lorentz force on the ions, thereby transporting hydrogen ions, which are abundant in malignant tumor tissue, into the malignant tumor cells, thereby making the interior of the cells acidic and killing them.

[0008] There is a method of directly shaking the living body to vibrate malignant tumor tissue in the living body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The method of the present invention employs the method described above, so that malignant tumor tissue is acidic due to the Warburg effect and is rich in hydrogen ions. When the Lorentz force is applied to the hydrogen ions, they move faster than other ions, like a special baton relay, and so the hydrogen ions penetrate deep into the malignant tumor cells through small holes in the cell membrane in a short period of time, changing the inside of the malignant cells to an acidic state and killing the malignant cells. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, examples of the method for intracellular / extracellular ion transfer of the present invention will be described.

[0011] A strong magnetic field is applied to the load, and microbubbles are injected into the load. When the microbubbles reach the malignant tumor tissue, low-frequency ultrasound of approximately 250 kHz, as described in Reference 2, is focused to open small holes in the malignant tumor cell membrane. The Lorentz force acting on the ions moves ions inside and outside the malignant cell through the small holes that remain open for a short time. At this time, hydrogen ions move in a relay manner deep inside the malignant tumor cells, where they undergo thermal diffusion, acidifying the inside of the malignant tumor cells.

[0012] Malignant tumor cells are particularly vulnerable to acid and have a powerful acid excretion mechanism, but if more acid flows in than necessary, the malignant tumor cells will die.

[0013] Other methods for creating small holes in the cell membrane include shock wave irradiation, focusing powerful ultrasound, and photoimmunotherapy, as described in Non-Patent Document 3, in which antibodies against markers present on the cell membrane are modified to be photosensitive and then irradiated with light.

[0014] The Lorentz force can be exerted on ions by applying a strong magnetic field to the malignant tumor tissue and focusing sound waves perpendicular to the magnetic field, or by mechanically shaking the malignant tumor tissue. At this time, it is more effective to vibrate the malignant tumor tissue at a low frequency and high speed.

[0015] The method of Patent Document 1 may generate an electric potential in the nerve pathway, which may cause convulsions. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 suggests that malignant tumors may be alkalized, but the distance traveled by a single vibration of hydrogen ions is not long, and it takes a long time to alkalized the entire malignant tumor tissue, making it difficult to use in prostate cancer, which is surrounded by a capsule, or pancreatic cancer, which has a lot of fiber.

[0016] In the treatment of malignant tumors, complete annihilation is necessary to prevent recurrence. As described in Non-Patent Document 2, microbubbles are destroyed by ultrasound, which not only explodes the malignant tumor cells but also creates holes in the cell membrane even for a short period of time. The method of the present invention is expected to be effective in this regard.

[0017] As described in Non-Patent Document 1, improved diagnostic capabilities using microbubbles and combined use with DDS can be expected to produce better therapeutic effects.

[0018] When many small holes are opened in malignant tumor cells, ions move in an orderly manner compared to thermal diffusion, which causes random ion movement. The method for intracellular / extracellular ion movement of the present invention has a good ion diffusion effect in and out of malignant tumor cells, and the ion composition inside the malignant tumor cells becomes close to the composition of the external fluid, which alone threatens the survival of the malignant tumor cells.

[0019] There are methods to vibrate malignant tumor tissue, such as irradiating it with sound waves or ultrasound, but ultrasound has the advantage of being able to image the malignant tumor site and focus the ultrasound on it.

[0020] There are methods to crush microbubbles with ultrasound, open small holes in malignant tumor cells with shock waves, and apply Lorentz force to ions with sound wave irradiation.

[0021] Ions other than those in malignant tumor tissue are also affected by the Lorentz force and move back and forth, but the extracellular fluid in normal tissue is the same everywhere and does not stimulate the nerves, so no side effects such as convulsions occur. [Industrial Applicability]

[0022] The present invention can be used to treat malignant tumors in humans and animals.

Claims

1. A method for moving ions between inside and outside of a cell by damaging the cell membrane to increase its permeability and allowing ions to move between inside and outside of the cell using the Lorentz force.

2. 2. A method for transferring ions between inside and outside of cells according to claim 1, wherein cell membrane damage is caused by shock wave irradiation, microbubbles are present in the extracellular fluid, ultrasound is irradiated thereto, and the cell membrane is damaged by heat generated when the microbubbles are crushed and by a microjet flow, or the cell membrane is damaged by a photoimmunoreaction.

3. 2. A method for transferring ions between the inside and outside of a cell according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic field and sound waves are applied to a target tissue area such that the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of the sound wave vibration are approximately perpendicular to each other, and ions are transferred between the inside and outside of the cell by Lorentz force.

4. 2. The method for transferring ions between the inside and outside of a cell according to claim 1, wherein at least the target tissue area is shaken in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field to transfer ions between the inside and outside of the cell by Lorentz force.