A Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) researcher has received Ontario's most prestigious early-career research award for pioneering a novel cancer treatment approach that could transform the way cancer is treated.
Farshad Moradi Kashkooli has won the 2024 Polanyi Prize in Physics for developing an innovative cancer treatment that uses sound waves to activate nanomedicine directly at tumour sites. This non-invasive approach could offer patients a safer alternative to traditional chemotherapy with significantly fewer side effects.
Farshad Moradi Kashkooli, a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Banting postdoctoral fellow at TMU's Department of Physics, has been awarded the 2024 Polanyi Prize in Physics for his innovative research in cancer treatment through targeted drug delivery.
With over 1.5 million Canadians living with cancer, Moradi Kashkooli's research addresses a critical need for more effective treatment options.
His work focuses on developing non-invasive alternatives to traditional cancer treatments like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy using ultrasound waves to deliver nano-drugs within the human body.
This is the first time therapeutic ultrasound and nanomedicine have been used to target tumours directly.
How it works
Moradi Kashkooli's method uses sound waves to activate tiny medicine-filled particles directly at cancer sites in the body.
The sound waves act like a trigger, causing these particles to release their medicine exactly where it is needed.
This approach not only ensures the cancer drugs are delivered precisely, but also helps it to spread more effectively throughout the tumour and be better internalized by cancer cells.
"My work is driven by a deep commitment to transforming cancer care through treatments that are more targeted, effective and less harmful," says Moradi Kashkooli.
"Although originally designed for cancer, this drug delivery platform also holds promise for a wide range of other medical conditions. If this research helps even one person live a better life, that will be my greatest success."
What sets his research apart is its precision in attacking cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
This greatly improves treatment efficacy and minimizes the side effects commonly associated with traditional chemotherapy treatments.
Moradi Kashkooli's work shows that ultrasound can serve as a safe, non-invasive modality for triggering targeted drug release.
This research brings together expertise from different fields-physics, engineering and computer modelling-and works with doctors and researchers from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and under the supervision of Michael Kolios and Jahan Tavakkoli.
This collaborative approach aims to refine the treatment method for future clinical trials, making sure it is both safe and effective.
Further impact
This research has implications beyond cancer therapy, offering a versatile platform that could advance drug delivery strategies across a wide range of medical applications.
By solving problems that make current treatments less successful, this new approach could give doctors better options for treating cancer.
"Farshad Moradi Kashkooli's groundbreaking research doesn't just advance scientific knowledge, but has the potential to fundamentally change how we treat cancer and improve the quality of life of countless patients," says David Cramb, dean, Faculty of Science. "The Polanyi Prize recognition is a very well-deserved acknowledgment of his innovative approach to one of medicine's greatest challenges."
The Government of Ontario is honouring the province's leading researchers for their outstanding contributions in the Nobel Prize fields of chemistry, economic sciences, literature, physics, and physiology or medicine. The Polanyi Prizes represent Ontario's most prestigious research awards, recognizing excellence and impact across these disciplines.
For more information, visit the prize's website.
