University of Cincinnati
08/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/24/2026 11:34
Imaging reveals how a tumor-fighting drug triggers cellular breakdown
Imaging reveals how a tumor-fighting drug triggers cellular breakdown
UC expert featured in optics trade publication
2 minute read August 24, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print Story Like
Optics trade publication SPIE highlighted research led by the University of Cincinnati's Jiajie Diao, PhD, published in Biophotonics Discovery that demonstrated how super-resolution microscopy can track how a drug alters several important structures within cancer cells.
The research focused on the drug sunitinib that's used to treat several cancers including kidney cancer. It has traditionally been thought the drug's effectiveness comes from inhibiting enzymes that drive tumor growth, but researchers have also recognized the exact location the drug travels to within cancer cells can influence effectiveness and side effects.
Sunitinib is naturally fluorescent, so Diao's lab could easily track the drug's path in living cells using structured illumination microscopy, an imaging technique that reveals structures too small to be seen with conventional light microscopes.
Using this technique, the researchers confirmed higher concentrations of sunitinib caused progressively greater cell death. Additionally, the imaging method revealed the drug concentrates primarily inside lysosomes, parts of cells which recycle cellular materials.
The research was also featured in MSN. Read the MSN article.
The next groundbreaking discovery
UC is a powerhouse of discovery and impact as a Carnegie 1 research institution. From pioneering medical research to transformative engineering and social innovation, our faculty and students drive progress that reaches across the world.
Featured image at top: Jiajie Diao works in his lab. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Marketing + Brand
Tags
Related Stories
1
Understanding resistance to targeted therapies in head and neck, breast cancer
July 11, 2025
MSN highlighted University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center research published in the journal Oncotarget that reviewed current research on why Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-targeted therapies often fail in breast and head and neck cancers.
2
Study traces evolutionary origins of an important enzyme complex
July 9, 2025
MSN highlighted University of Cincinnati Cancer Center research published in Nature Communications that traced the evolutionary origins of the PRPS enzyme complex and learned more about how this complex functions and influences cellular biochemistry.
3
Study sheds light on copper's role in driving kidney cancer
November 12, 2024
MSN highlighted a new University of Cincinnati study published in the journal Cancer Discovery that details how the accumulation of copper helps clear cell renal cell carcinoma grow and advance in stage.
University of Cincinnati published this content on August 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 24, 2026 at 17:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]