The authors of the new work have created a delivery method that enhances modified immune cells - T cells
Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (alsoknown as CAR T cells are T cells that have been genetically engineered to produce an artificial T cell receptor for use in immunotherapy.
According to the researchers, the gel provides a special temporary environment inside the body where immune cells multiply and are activated in preparation to fight cancer cells.
The gel acts as an unsealed container that releases activated CAR T cells to continuously attack the tumor.
Most CAR T cells are designed tomake them effective, but less attention has been paid to how they will work once ingested. In our work, we tried to solve this problem.
Eric Appel, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford
The hydrogel consists of water and two ingredients:a polymer made from cellulose and biodegradable nanoparticles. When combined, these two components adhere to each other like Velcro. This means that they stick together easily, but can be pulled apart if necessary.
During the experiment, the authors usedhydrogel with cells and proteins to inject into animals: as a result, cancer cells were killed after 12 days. Treatment with a drip or saline was less effective. In addition, the gel did not cause adverse inflammatory reactions in mice, and it completely degraded in the body in a few weeks.
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