How Israeli Scientists Develop RNA “Missiles” to Attack Cancer Cells

A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University developed an innovative RNA-based drug delivery system to attack diseased cells which could improve the treatment of cancers of the blood, various types of solid cancers, various inflammatory diseases and viral diseases, including the coronavirus.

“Today’s medicine floods the body with antibodies which, while selective, damage all cells that express a specific receptor.whatever its current form ”, explained the professor. Dan Peer, TAU vice president of research and development, who led the study. “We have now taken out of the equation healthy cells that can help us – that is, cells that are not inflamed – by simply injecting them into the bloodstream. [podemos] silencing, expressing or modifying a particular gene exclusively in cells that are inflamed at that time, ”he added.

The peer team was work on using RNA to treat Cancer and other diseases for decades. They had already figured out how to tell the difference between diseased and non-diseased cells. They were also at the forefront of delivering antibodies to cells. The breakthrough is the ability to deliver antibodies specifically to the right cells. “In each cell envelope of the body, that is, on the cell membrane, there are receptors that select the substances that enter the cell. If you want to inject a drug, it must be adapted to the specific receptors of the target cells, otherwise, it will circulate in the blood and do nothing. But some of these receptors are dynamic: they change shape in the membrane as a function of external or internal signals ”, specifies the researcher.

And he completed: “Only about 15% of cells are really sick, which means that with this new delivery system, about 85% of healthy cells have to do the job they need to do. Our development is truly changing the world of therapeutic antibodies. “

RNA and lipid nanoparticles have become household names this year with the creation of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines., the world’s first operational messenger RNA vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer simply deliver a specific mRNA sequence to our cells. Once mRNA is in the cell, human biology takes over. Ribosomes read the code and build the protein, which is then expressed by cells in the body.

Before these vaccinations, The researchers had worked with RNA for nearly three decades for use in other indications, primarily cancer. Peer said this latest development is the “next, next” level beyond vaccines. “Imagine you have a missile and the missile can identify the specific address, the specific apartment and the specific room in the apartment. We are the first in the world to successfully create a drug delivery system that can bind to receptors only in a certain situation and bypass other identical cells: that is, deliver the drug exclusively to cells that are currently relevant to the disease, ”the scientist continued.

At this particular study, conducted in mice with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and colitis, The team was able to improve all inflammatory symptoms, from the animal’s weight to pro-inflammatory cytokines.

“We compared our results with those of antibodies currently on the market for patients with Crohn’s disease and colitis, and found that our results were the same or better, without causing most of the side effects that accompany the disease. introduction of antibodies throughout the cell. population. The next step would be to test the system in humans, which could take two or three more years, but we have seen with the coronavirus that, if necessary, we can act quickly, ”concluded the expert.

KEEP READING: