UCLA researchers have developed tiny sponges that can be implanted next to tumors to help the body fight them. In tests in mice, the device induced remission, prevented cancer growth and spread, and increased survival.
The immune system is a powerful first line of defense against pathogens and disease, but a class of immune cells called regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a role in keeping the body’s healthy cells from accidentally attacking. Unfortunately, one of cancer’s most nefarious tricks is hijacking this process and using it to protect itself from the immune system.
This makes Tregs interesting targets for therapy, and in previous work, scientists have discovered ways to reprogram Tregs into cancer-killing immune cells. However, while lowering Treg levels makes the cancer more vulnerable, doing it system-wide carries the risk of autoimmune complications. We have developed a new method to remove only Tregs.
The end result is a device they call SymphNode, which is basically a biodegradable sponge about the size of a pencil eraser. It is made of a hydrogel-like substance called alginate and is packed with drugs that not only block Tregs, but also summon other anti-cancer T cells. When a SymphNode is implanted right next to a tumor, it will release its drug payload.
Negin Majedi/Symphony Biosciences
The team tested the system in mice with breast cancer and melanoma, with impressive results overall.SymphNode shrank tumors in 80% of breast cancer patients and prevented metastasis in 100% of cases. . The device even stopped the growth of her second tumor elsewhere in her body. On the other hand, untreated control mice all died within weeks after the cancer spread to the brain and lymph nodes.
Mice with melanoma did even better, with 100% of treated mice shrinking their tumors and more than 40% of them dropping to undetectable levels. Regardless of cancer type, the lifespan of treated mice was also significantly increased, up to twice that of untreated mice.
A final test was performed after 100 days of treatment. The team injected her second tumor into mice that had survived breast cancer given SymphNode. These new cancers did not grow. This indicates that the mice’s immune system still retains memory of the cancer and successfully fought it off.
The study raises hopes for new potential treatments that can not only treat difficult cancers but also prevent them from recurring. We are working to commercialize this technology through a spin-off company called Symphony Biosciences.
A study was published in a journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Source: UCLA
