Cancer Research Cancer tumors could be destroyed within a few days

Study: In mice tumors were destroyed within ten days
Researchers have now succeeded in developing powerful nanodiscs that can deliver a customized therapeutic vaccine. This allowed cancerous tumors in mice to be destroyed within ten days. Even a later growth was prevented by this type of treatment.

Researchers at the University of Michigan found that special vaccines can effectively be used to treat cancer through the use of so-called nanodiscs. In tests on mice, this type of treatment killed cancerous tumors over a period of ten days and also prevented later growth. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Nature Materials".

Cancer is a disease that often leads to the death of those affected. A new method of treatment with so-called nanodiscs could be used to fight tumors more effectively in the future. (Image: vitanovski / fotolia.com)

Treatment already brought first success in mice
In the current investigation, there were already first successes in mice. Using nanodisc technology, a vaccine has been effectively delivered for the treatment of colon and melanoma cancer tumors, the researchers explain.

Nanodiscs help the immune system fight cancer
Basically we educate the immune system with these nanodiscs to attack the cancer cells in a personalized way with the help of immune cells, the experts explain in a press release. The so-called personalized immunotherapy is a very fast growing field of research in the fight against cancer.

Treatment uses tumor neoantigens
The therapeutic cancer vaccine uses nanodiscs that are loaded with so-called tumor neoantigens, say the physicians. These unique mutations can be found in tumor cells, the experts explain. By generating T cells that can recognize these specific neoantigens, the technology targets cancer mutations and helps to eliminate cancer cells and prevent tumor growth, the researchers add.

Treatment kills tumors in mice within ten days
Nanodisc technology has been tested on mice with established melanoma and colon cancer tumors. After vaccination, 27 percent of the T cells in the blood of the mice fought the tumors. In combination with so-called immune checkpoint inhibitors, an already existing technology, the nanodisc technology killed the tumors within ten days in the majority of the mice, explain the physicians.

Renewed growth of tumors is prevented
After a period of 70 days, the researchers again injected the mice with the same tumor cells. But this time the tumors were fought by the immune system and did not grow. This indicates a long-term immunity, because the immune system, so to speak, reminiscent of the cancer cells, explain the scientists.

Results are very promising
The special feature of cancer immunotherapy is that tumors can be eliminated without systemic toxicity and their future growth can be prevented. The current study has already produced very promising results in mice, say the authors.

Treatment enhances T cell response and improves efficacy
The new technology consists of extremely small, synthetic lipoproteins with a density of about 10 nanometers. For comparison, a human hair has a width of 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers, explain the experts. The study shows that the powerful vaccine technology efficiently delivers the vaccine components to the right cells. This leads to an increased response of T cells and improved efficacy, the researchers add. As a next step, the nanodisc technology should be tested on larger animals, the researchers continue. (As)