Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have invented an “immune” gel that destroys the cancer cells left over from tumor excision. The journal Nature Nanotechnology informed about the discovery.
Zhen Gu and his colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, developed an “immune” gel to target the tumor cells left over after removal. The gel sprayed on the surface of the postoperative wound showed promising results when tested in mice. The preparation stimulated the anti-tumor activity of immune cells throughout the animals’ organism, but did not induce a potentially dangerous, generalized immune reaction.
Most of the tumor was removed from skin cancer mice, and the rest was sprayed with a gel containing antibodies against the CD47 molecules present in tumors (which protects tumors from an immune response) and a substance that reduces acidification. Thanks to this, the action of macrophages was facilitated. As a result, tumor regrowth and metastasis formation slowed compared to mice treated with the inactive gel.
However, before possible human trials can begin, trials with larger animals still need to be carried out.
According to doctors and scientists, using one’s immune system to fight cancer is the future of oncology. Currently, there is a lot of talk about CAR-T therapy being introduced into medical practice. It involves reprogramming the patient’s immune cells, thanks to which his immune system better recognizes and fights cancer cells.