Cytokines are small protein molecules that help control inflammation in the body. They are released by the body's immune cells to fight cancer and improve the effectiveness of treatment.
The team from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering has developed new technology that ensures that immune cells release cytokines that prevent tumors from spreading to other tissues or organs. It also preserved the structure and response levels of the cytokine to not expose the toxicity to the rest of the body.
"Cytokines are powerful and highly effective in stimulating immune cells to eliminate cancer cells," said Rong Tong, associate professor of chemical engineering at Virginia Tech.
"The problem is that they are so powerful that if they move freely throughout the body they will activate every immune cell they encounter, leading to an overactive immune response and potentially fatal side effects," he said.
In contrast, current cancer treatments such as chemotherapy cannot differentiate between healthy cells and cancer cells, resulting in side effects such as hair loss and fatigue, as it affects all cells in the body.
“Stimulating the body's immune system to attack tumors is a major option for treating cancer. Delivery of cytokines can rapidly trigger immune cells in tumors, but overstimulating healthy cells can lead to serious side effects,” the researchers noted in the paper published in the journal Science Advances.
The team from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering has developed new technology that ensures that immune cells release cytokines that prevent tumors from spreading to other tissues or organs. It also preserved the structure and response levels of the cytokine to not expose the toxicity to the rest of the body.
"Cytokines are powerful and highly effective in stimulating immune cells to eliminate cancer cells," said Rong Tong, associate professor of chemical engineering at Virginia Tech.
"The problem is that they are so powerful that if they move freely throughout the body they will activate every immune cell they encounter, leading to an overactive immune response and potentially fatal side effects," he said.
In contrast, current cancer treatments such as chemotherapy cannot differentiate between healthy cells and cancer cells, resulting in side effects such as hair loss and fatigue, as it affects all cells in the body.
“Stimulating the body's immune system to attack tumors is a major option for treating cancer. Delivery of cytokines can rapidly trigger immune cells in tumors, but overstimulating healthy cells can lead to serious side effects,” the researchers noted in the paper published in the journal Science Advances.
