This approach isn’t just about slowing tumor growth; it also plays a significant role in bolstering the body’s natural immune response against the tumor. By leveraging this method, there’s a dual benefit—restraining the tumor’s expansion while empowering the body’s defense mechanisms to better combat and potentially suppress the cancerous growth.
Key Findings
- Effective Tumor Inhibition: The Therapy (IT) group exhibited significantly lower tumor growth rates compared to the Non-Therapy (INT) group, indicating that ECCT effectively inhibits mammary tumor growth.
- Histopathological Changes: Tumors in the IT group showed signs of necrosis and apoptosis, including blackening and detachment, leading to healing. The IT group had lower PCNA expression, indicating reduced cell proliferation, while ErbB2 expression remained unchanged. Higher nuclear and hollow region caspase-3 expression in the IT group indicated advanced apoptosis stages facilitated by ECCT.
- Immune Response Modulation: The IT group had CD68+ macrophages likely of the M1 phenotype, promoting an anti-tumor response. Increased CD8+ T cell infiltration in the IT group with a lower CD4/CD8 ratio, enhancing cytotoxic immune response against tumors.
- Safety and Efficacy: The study demonstrated that ECCT is safe, with no adverse effects on normal tissues, and effectively reduces tumor growth and modulates the immune response in rats.
- Non-Invasive: ECCT offers a non-invasive alternative to traditional cancer therapies, potentially reducing side effects and improving patient quality of life.
- Potential for Combination Therapy: ECCT could be integrated with existing cancer treatments to enhance overall efficacy and target different aspects of tumor biology.
