Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a novel therapeutic approach that converts immune cells already present within tumours into potent cancer‑killing agents, offering a promising new direction for cancer immunotherapy. The findings were reported in the journal ACS Nano.
Tumours naturally contain immune cells called macrophages, which ordinarily have the ability to attack cancer but are suppressed by the tumour environment. The KAIST research team devised a method in which a specially designed drug is injected directly into the tumour, where it is absorbed by these resident macrophages. Once inside, the drug triggers the production of proteins that enable the cells to recognize and attack cancer.
This in‑body reprogramming transforms the macrophages into CAR‑macrophages — immune cells equipped with cancer‑recognition capabilities — without the need for extracting and modifying cells in laboratory settings, a process that is slow, costly and difficult to scale.
The therapy uses lipid nanoparticles loaded with messenger RNA (mRNA) instructions and an immune‑activating compound. These nanoparticles are engineered for efficient uptake by macrophages. Once the nanoparticles are absorbed, the cells begin producing cancer‑targeting proteins and activating nearby immune responses, significantly amplifying the anticancer effect.
In animal studies, including models of melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, the treatment substantially slowed tumour growth. Evidence from these studies also suggests that the immune response may extend beyond the injected tumour, indicating potential for wider systemic anticancer activity.
This approach could overcome major challenges faced by current immunotherapy strategies, particularly those involving solid tumours, which often resist treatment due to physical and biological barriers that block effective immune cell infiltration and activity.
The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and led by a KAIST team focused on bio‑engineering solutions to longstanding limitations in cancer therapy.
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