Cancer chemoimmunotherapy is an emerging field of cancer treatment that harnesses the body’s own immune system to fight tumor cells. Nanoparticles are uniquely suited to deliver cancer immunotherapy agents directly to tumor cells, where they can be more effective and have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy drugs.
In a recent study, researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) used nanoparticles to deliver an immunotherapy drug called a checkpoint inhibitor directly to tumor cells. Checkpoint inhibitors work by blocking a protein called PD-1, which allows cancer cells to evade the immune system.
The researchers found that nanoparticles coated with the checkpoint inhibitor were more effective at reducing tumor size and prolonging survival than standard chemotherapy in a mouse model of lung cancer. The nanoparticles were also associated with fewer side effects, such as weight loss and hair loss.
“This is a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy that could potentially have a major impact on the treatment of a wide range of cancers,” said study lead author Matthew W. Hellstrom, PhD, associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
The study was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Cancer immunotherapy is an emerging field of cancer treatment that harnesses the body’s own immune system to fight tumor cells. Checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy drug that work by blocking a protein called PD-1, which allows cancer cells to evade the immune system.
Nanoparticles are uniquely suited to deliver cancer immunotherapy agents directly to tumor cells, where they can be more effective and have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy drugs.
In a recent study, researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) used nanoparticles to deliver an immunotherapy drug called a checkpoint inhibitor directly to tumor cells.
The researchers found that nanoparticles coated with the checkpoint inhibitor were more effective at reducing tumor size and prolonging survival than standard chemotherapy in a mouse model of lung cancer. The nanoparticles were also associated with fewer side effects, such as weight loss and hair loss.
“This is a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy that could potentially have a major impact on the treatment of a wide range of cancers,” said study lead author Matthew W. Hellstrom, PhD, associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
The study was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, scientists have developed a wealth of innovative cancer treatments. One promising area of research is nanomedicine, which uses nanotechnology to create new therapies and delivery methods for existing treatments. In a new study, researchers have developed a novel nanoparticle that delivers an immunotherapy drug directly to cancer cells, while sparing healthy cells.
This study builds on previous work in cancer immunotherapy, which harnesses the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. Immunotherapy drugs, such as checkpoint inhibitors, work by blocking the proteins that cancer cells use to evade detection by the immune system. However, these drugs can have side effects because they also block proteins that are important for the functioning of healthy cells.
The new nanoparticle, developed by a team of researchers at the University of Michigan, is made of a biodegradable polymer and is loaded with an immunotherapy drug called a checkpoint inhibitor. The nanoparticle is designed to specifically target cancer cells, and to release the drug only when it comes into contact with these cells.
The researchers tested the nanoparticle in cells and in mice. They found that it was effective at targeting cancer cells and delivering the checkpoint inhibitor drug. Importantly, the nanoparticle spared healthy cells from the side effects of the immunotherapy drug.
This study represents an important step forward in the field of cancer nanomedicine. The novel nanoparticle could potentially be used to deliver a variety of immunotherapy drugs, and other drugs that are currently unable to be used because of side effects. This new treatment approach has the potential to improve the lives of cancer patients by specifically targeting cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.
