New RNA-based Therapy Combats Melanoma in Mouse Models
Source: Mount Sinai, July 2023
New York, NY(July 27, 2023)-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.
The findings, which suggest that the approach has the potential to be effective against tumors that have already spread to other parts of the body and against different cancer types, were reported in the July 27 issue of Nature Nanotechnology [DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01453-9].
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.