New Cancer Immunotherapy Balances Efficacy and Safety

US researchers have pioneered a novel immunotherapy approach utilizing cytokine proteins as a promising treatment, precisely targeting tumors while sparing healthy cells from harm (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Noncovalently particle-anchored cytokines with prolonged tumor retention safely elicit potent antitumor immunity

Go to source). Cytokines are small protein molecules that help control inflammation in the body. They are released by the body’s immune cells to fight against cancer and improve treatment effectiveness. The team from Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering developed the new technique which ensures that immune cell boosts cytokines which curbs tumor spread to other tissues or organs.

Cytokine Integrity: A Key Factor in Preventing Systemic Toxicity

It also preserved the cytokine’s structure and reactivity levels to not expose toxicity to the rest of the body. “Cytokines are potent and highly effective at stimulating the immune cells to eliminate cancer cells,” said Rong Tong, associate professor in chemical engineering at Virginia Tech.

“The problem is they’re so potent that if they roam freely throughout the body, they’ll activate every immune cell they encounter, which can cause an overactive immune response and potentially fatal side effects,” he added.

In contrast, current cancer treatments such as chemotherapy cannot differentiate between healthy cells and cancer cells, resulting in side effects like hair loss and fatigue, as it affects all cells in the body.

“The delivery of cytokines can jump-start immune cells in the tumor, but overstimulating healthy cells can cause severe side effects,” the researchers noted in the paper published in the journal Science Advances.

Reference:

1. Noncovalently particle-anchored cytokines with prolonged tumor retention safely elicit potent antitumor immunity - (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adk7695)

Source-IANS