New way to help immune cells adhere to and destroy solid tumors

(Dan Tri) - The new method, likened to a "Velcro bomb", not only effectively destroys tumors in mice but also opens up the prospect of application to humans in the near future.

In a breakthrough, scientists at Imperial College London and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a new strategy that helps immune cells attack and destroy solid tumors.

This is a type of cancer that is considered an "impenetrable fortress" for modern medicine.

The new method, dubbed a “Velcro bomb,” not only effectively destroys tumors in mice but also opens up the prospect of application to humans in the near future.

When CAR-T therapy meets limitations

For many years, CAR-T cell therapy has been considered a “miracle” in the treatment of blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.

Doctors take T cells from the patient’s blood, genetically modify them to recognize and destroy cancer cells, and then infuse them back into the body. With this method, thousands of terminally ill patients have been saved, even completely cured after just a few months of treatment.

However, when faced with solid tumors such as lung, colon or prostate cancer, CAR-T is almost "powerless".

The cause lies in the special environment around the tumor, which contains a lot of collagen, scar tissue and proteins that prevent immune cells from entering. In addition, the tumor also emits chemical signals that disable T cells, unable to recognize the danger right in front of them.

“Velcro Bomb” – Strategy to Hit the Tumor's Weak Point

To overcome this barrier, the team led by Koichi Sasaki, John K. Lee and Jun Ishihara made CAR-T cells smarter. Instead of attacking in droves, they were programmed to “stick” to tumors like Velcro to fabric.

New method helps immune cells adhere to and attack tumors (Photo: Getty).

Scientists took advantage of the tumor's own structural feature, collagen. They combined the gene for interleukin 12, a protein that can trigger a strong immune response, with a protein that has a high affinity for collagen. The result was a kind of "biological bomb".

When the CAR-T cells carrying this “bomb” reach the tumor, interleukin 12 is released on the spot, triggering a powerful but limited immune response within the tumor area.

This approach avoids the dangerous side effects that have plagued many previous trials. The “Velcro bomb” only explodes in the collagen-rich environment inside the tumor, rather than damaging healthy tissue.

Test results on mice showed that large prostate and bladder tumors were completely eliminated without damaging healthy tissue.

When combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors, the effect was further enhanced. Notably, the mice did not need to undergo a pre-treatment chemotherapy phase as in traditional CAR-T therapies.

New hope for the fight against cancer

According to the research team, this success lies not only in the ability to destroy solid tumors, but also proves that humans can "program" the immune system to precisely attack each type of cancer without harming the body.

“We have not only created a new treatment, but also demonstrated that it is possible to manipulate the tumor microenvironment in a safer and more effective way than ever before,” said Professor Jun Ishihara.

Still, scientists remain cautious. So far, the research has been conducted only on mice, a useful model but one that does not fully reflect the complexities of the human body.

Ishihara and Sasaki’s team is now conducting human trials with a basic version of CAR-T cells. If they prove safe, they will test the full “Velcro bomb” in the next phase.

Experts predict that the entire clinical trial process could take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. However, if successful, the “Velcro bomb” would open a new era in cancer treatment.

The research was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering and is hailed as one of the most remarkable advances in the field of modern immunotherapy.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/cach-moi-giup-te-bao-mien-dich-bam-dinh-va-tieu-diet-khoi-u-ran-20251031070109435.htm