Landmark China trial gets 84% efficacy in treating cancer with cue from waste water tech

For patients with advanced, metastatic cancer that has progressed despite systemic therapy – options remain critically limited.

Now, Chinese scientists are pointing to an unconventional therapeutic agent – the element iron.

This idea originated in industrial waste water treatment: iron can react with hydrogen peroxide to generate hydroxyl radicals, which degrade various organic and toxic molecules in waste water.

Chinese scientists wanted to treat malignant tumours the way they treat waste water – by combining iron with a nano-carbon injection to form a nano-carbon iron injection called CNSI-Fe, where Fe stands for iron – more specifically ferrous iron.