Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a more effective method of delivering a cutting-edge cancer treatment, according to findings published in the journal ACS Nano . During cryoimmunotherapy, immunotherapy drugs are combined with extreme cold to destroy tumor cells . Although the approach has been proven effective, there are drawbacks, said Dong-Hyun Kim, Ph.
D., professor of Radiology in the Division of Basic and Translational Radiology Research and senior author of the study. "Compared to the other ablation methods, cryoablation has reduced pain and recovery time ," said Kim, who is also a member of the Robert H.
Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. "But with cryotherapy, there are some limitations around consistent ice formation inside of the tumor tissue and anti-cancer immune activation." In the current study, investigators sought to employ engineered molecular agents called metallic supra-structured cryo-nanocatalysts, or MSCNs, to enhance the effectiveness of cryoimmunotherapy.
First, Kim and his collaborators administered MSCNs in cultured mouse prostate cancer cells . They found that the MSCNs elevated the freezing point of the tissues, enhancing ice formation and anti-cancer immunity responses while also inducing more cell death compared to traditional cryoablation methods. Next, investigators loaded MSCNs with PD-L1, a protein that jumpstarts antitumor immune responses.
The loaded MSCNs were found to eradicate tumors and trigger a.