Implants Used To Attack Cancer
Bioengineers at Harvard University implanted plastic disks infused with antigens that are tumor-specific under the skin of mice. A life-threatening form of melanoma, which would normally kill them in 25 days, was cleared in 90 percent of the test subjects.
Current research being done on cancer vaccines has been centered on the removal of immune cells from the body and then injecting them into the body after they have been altered to attack cancerous tissues. Past experiments using this technique have failed because 90 percent of the reinjected cells die without any results.
The researchers at Harvard redirected the immune system from inside the body using the slender disks measuring only 8.5 mm across which are made of a biodegradable polymer. They can be inserted subcutaneously, or below the skin. Since the disks are 90 percent air, they are highly permeable to immune cells. Cytokines are released by the implant which attracts dendritic cells, immune-system messengers. The messenger cells enter the pores of the implant and are exposed to the impregnated antigens particular to the type of tumor being pursued. The dendritic cells go to nearby lymph nodes which activate the T cells of the immune system to find and kill the tumor cells.
The researchers hope that this method can be comparable to the immune response caused by a bacterial or viral vaccine resulting in a long-term resistance. The disks will hopefully generate a body-wide resistance against cells that cause cancer that will be permanent and provide protection against relapse.
The implants could also be used to promote an aggressive immune response by packing them with bacterial and viral antigens to defend against infectious diseases. The disks could also promote tolerance in the immune system by redirecting the immune system to weaken autoimmune diseases.
The promising outcome of the study demonstrated how biomaterials could be used to treat cancer and other diseases by interacting with other cells in the body.
Harvard University (2009, January 23). Implants Mimic Infection To Rally Immune System Against Tumors. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 25, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/01/090122164317.htm
Current research being done on cancer vaccines has been centered on the removal of immune cells from the body and then injecting them into the body after they have been altered to attack cancerous tissues. Past experiments using this technique have failed because 90 percent of the reinjected cells die without any results.
The researchers at Harvard redirected the immune system from inside the body using the slender disks measuring only 8.5 mm across which are made of a biodegradable polymer. They can be inserted subcutaneously, or below the skin. Since the disks are 90 percent air, they are highly permeable to immune cells. Cytokines are released by the implant which attracts dendritic cells, immune-system messengers. The messenger cells enter the pores of the implant and are exposed to the impregnated antigens particular to the type of tumor being pursued. The dendritic cells go to nearby lymph nodes which activate the T cells of the immune system to find and kill the tumor cells.
The researchers hope that this method can be comparable to the immune response caused by a bacterial or viral vaccine resulting in a long-term resistance. The disks will hopefully generate a body-wide resistance against cells that cause cancer that will be permanent and provide protection against relapse.
The implants could also be used to promote an aggressive immune response by packing them with bacterial and viral antigens to defend against infectious diseases. The disks could also promote tolerance in the immune system by redirecting the immune system to weaken autoimmune diseases.
The promising outcome of the study demonstrated how biomaterials could be used to treat cancer and other diseases by interacting with other cells in the body.
Harvard University (2009, January 23). Implants Mimic Infection To Rally Immune System Against Tumors. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 25, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/01/090122164317.htm
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