New lipid nanoparticle-mRNA therapy combats melanoma in mouse models

Source: PHYS ORG, July 2023

Illustration of the closing of the cancer-immunity cycle by integrating lipid nanoparticle-mRNA formulations and cell therapy (CATCH). Credit: Dong et al., Nature Nanotechnology

Investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have designed an innovative RNA-based strategy to activate dendritic cells—which play a key role in immune response—that eradicated tumors and prevented their recurrence in mouse models of melanoma.

Cancer cells employ strategies to switch off various stages of the cancer-immunity cycle, the process by which dendritic cells educate T cells to kill cancer cells. This immunosuppressive environment that impedes activation of cancer-killing T cells allows tumors to grow, say the researchers.
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