KAIST researchers have found out a new methodology to reprogram immune cells within the cancerous tumors into cancer-killing agents. It is a new development in nano medicine involving macrophages within tumour itself.
Tumours normally contain immune cells called macrophages which are potent enough to attack cancer cells. However, the cancerous or malignant tumour environment suppresses the cancer cell killing potential of macrophages.
Researchers at KAIST have developed a way to overcome this hurdle by directly transforming immune cells[ macrophages] within the tumors into active cancer-fighting agents.
According to KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, a research team led by Professor Ji-Ho Park from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering has developed a new treatment methodology.
He stated that injecting a drug directly into a cancerous tumor, help the macrophages within it to absorb the drug and begin producing CAR (a cancer-recognizing device) proteins.
This process transforms them into anticancer immune cells known as “CAR-macrophages.” This activated macrophages are capable of killing cancer cells. It is indeed a promising therapeutic intervention in immunotherapy for malignancies.
These macrophages are potentiated to stimulate nearby immune cells and thus accentuate the body’s overall immune response against growth of cancer cells. Its an advantage that researchers could develop an interventional or therapeutic method that can be implemented within the body in the shortest period of time.
According to the research team this approach uses lipid nanoparticles – engineered to be easily taken up by macrophages — loaded with both mRNA that carries cancer-recognition instructions and an immune-activating compound.
written by dr sanjana p
Reference for further reading
Jun-Hee Han, Erinn Fagan, Kyunghwan Yeom, Ji-Ho Park. In Situ Chimeric Antigen Receptor Macrophage Therapy via Co-Delivery of mRNA and Immunostimulant. ACS Nano, 2025; 19 (48): 40798 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c09138
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