Cancer Vaccines Using Lipid Nanoparticle Delivered mRNA Seem Promising

Cancer vaccines work by instructing the immune system to attack a particular cell surface feature characteristic of cancer cells. Cancers tend to subvert the immune system and suppress its activities in and around tumor tissue, however, so improvements in the effectiveness of a vaccine, the degree to which it will rouse the immune system to action, are helpful. Here, researchers present an example of the way in which the present generation of new vaccine technologies can be applied to this goal in the development of improved cancer vaccines. Researchers had previously designed lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that targeted gene editing packages to various organs. Targeting is achieved by modifying the chemical structure of the lipids that make up the bubbles, as well as other additives, until the researchers find a combination that prefers to go to the organ of interest. In this case, they found an LNP that concentrated in the lymph nodes after they were injected subcutaneously into mice. The researchers think the LNPs collect molecules from the blood stream on their surface, and those selected molecules bind to specific receptors in the target organ. The lymphatic system, which includes the familiar lymph nodes that often swell up during an infection, is an important target for vaccines, because that's where immunity against a foreign antigen, or in this case, a cancer antigen, is acquired. If one thinks of the body as a field of battle - against viruses, bacteria,...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs