Vacuum-assisted Cancer therapy (VACANT): selective tumor ablation via aquaporin-mediated cellular dehydration

The development of simple and tumor-selective physical ablation techniques remains an urgent need in oncology. We present Vacuum-Assisted Cancer Therapy (VACANT), a novel method where localized vacuum applied via a hollow needle induces rapid dehydration of solid tumors. Demonstrating high efficacy in both 2D and 3D cancer models, VACANT achieved complete tumor ablation in mice with significantly improved survival. Crucially, the treatment exhibited differential sensitivity, affecting cancer cells more profoundly than normal cells. Mechanistic investigation revealed that this preferential cytotoxicity stems from the elevated expression of aquaporin water channels in malignant cells, which predisposes them to catastrophic osmotic water loss upon vacuum application. VACANT thus represents a proof-of-concept for a new class of minimally invasive, mechanistically-driven physical therapy that exploits a fundamental biophysical vulnerability of cancer.