Israeli scientists have made a major breakthrough that could improve one of the most promising cancer treatments: CAR T-cell therapy.
By using nanotechnology inspired by computer chip manufacturing, they have found a way to create longer-lasting and more powerful cancer-fighting immune cells.
CAR T-cell therapy is a cutting-edge cancer treatment that uses a patient’s own immune cells — specifically T cells — to fight cancer more effectively. Doctors collect T cells from the patient’s blood. T cells are white blood cells that help the immune system recognize and attack threats. In a lab, scientists genetically modify these T cells to produce chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface. These receptors act like tiny homing devices that allow the T cells to recognize specific proteins (antigens) found on cancer cells. The newly engineered CAR T cells are grown in large numbers until there are enough to treat the patient.
While this treatment has been successful against certain blood cancers, like leukemia and lymphoma, the engineered CAR T cells often lose strength too quickly to keep fighting the disease.
To solve this problem, two research teams from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev looked at how T cells are activated inside the body versus how they’re activated in the lab. One team was led by Prof. Mark Schwartzman from the Department of Materials Engineering, the other was led by Prof. Angel Porgador from the Department of Immunology.
The study found that changing how T cells are activated in the lab can make them much more effective. The findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal, Advanced Materials.
“In the lab, we usually use stiff plastic beads to activate T cells,” Porgador said. “But in the body, T cells interact with soft, flexible cells that have tiny, complex structures on their surfaces. We thought mimicking that natural environment could help the T cells stay active longer.”
So, the team created artificial surfaces covered in nanostructures — tiny shapes at the molecular level — that copy the texture of natural cells. These were made using advanced techniques from the chip-making industry, which allowed the researchers to build incredibly small and precise structures.
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