Nanoparticles target invading immune cells in tumors

A scientist recently won a Nobel Prize for his work that allows the immune system to eliminate tumor cells, which is a significant advance in the fight against cancer immunotherapy. This approach prevents cancer cells from smothering immune system T cells before they can fight tumors. It's a way to use the body's defenses. The Vanderbilt team is building on this breakthrough to come up with a new solution by designing a nanoscale particle that can penetrate the invading immune cells into the tumor and activate them to start fighting.

Tumors have evolved in many ways to escape detection of the immune system. Our goal was to rearm the immune system with the tools needed to destroy cancer cells, by developing a nanoparticle to detect tumors and deliver specific molecules naturally produced by the body to fight cancer. says John T. Wilson.

CGAMP molecules are used as the primary means of activating the interferon gene pathway, a natural mechanism used by the body to enhance the immune response against viruses, bacteria or eliminate malignant cells. The nanoparticle releases cGAMP so as to trigger immune responses inside tumors, resulting in the generation of killer T-cells capable of destroying tumors from within and enhancing blockade responses checkpoints.

The team is focused on melanoma and its results indicate that this method could have an impact on the treatment of many other forms of cancer, such as the head, neck, bad, lungs, kidneys, colorectal and neuroblastoma.

The process began with trying to develop nanoparticles using smart polymers, which react to pH changes and are designed to improve the power of cGAMP; after more than 20 iterations, it was found that one of them was able to deliver cGAMP to effectively activate STING in mouse immune cells, then in mouse tumors and, possibly, in human tissue samples. According to Daniel Shae PhD, this work is really encouraging as it has demonstrated that this technology can be successful in patients.