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Bar-Ilan University

Nanoparticles Restore Efficiency in Exhausted Immune Cells Killing Cancer

A novel study led by Prof. Mira Barda-Saad and her research team at the Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University has unveiled a novel method to rejuvenate natural killer (NK) cells in the fight against cancer.

The study, which has already been published, addresses a critical challenge in cancer immunotherapy -- NK cell exhaustion. Natural killer cells, a key component of the immune system, are crucial for identifying and destroying cancerous and viral cells. In recent years, the landscape of cancer treatment has been transformed by the rise of immunotherapeutic strategies, such as the Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) approach.

This method involves extracting patient cells, modifying them genetically in a laboratory to enhance their ability to combat cancer cells, and then reintroducing them into the body.

Recently, however, it was discovered that the lymphocytes, either T cells or NK cells, including “engineered” NK cells, can become fatigued from continuously battling tumors and subsequently lose their function.

To bypass this process, Prof. Barda-Saad’s research team identified the underlying causes of NK cell dysfunction and developed a novel solution using nanoparticles to restore the vitality of these cells directly within the patient.

These nanoparticles, capable of targeting and silencing negative regulators, restore NK cell activity directly within the patient’s body, bypassing the need for cell extraction and genetic modification. (INN / VFI News)

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