Cancer cells, no matter where they grow in the human body, pose a significant threat to our health and lives. Chemotherapy and radiation, while effective, come with undesirable side effects. So, what if we could harness our immune system to target and destroy these rogue cells? This is the innovative concept behind mRNA cancer vaccines, building on the science of COVID-19 vaccines to tackle a more pressing health concern.
In a recent publication in the academic journal Theranostics, Binghamton University Associate Professor Yuan Wan and his team propose a novel approach to mRNA treatments. This builds upon Wan's five-year research to enhance the delivery of chemotherapy medications. The idea is to train the immune system using markers from the tumor. When cancer cells with these markers appear, the immune system can recognize and destroy them.
Instead of using a dead or weakened version of a virus or bacteria, mRNA vaccines instruct tumor cells to produce a protein similar to what an unwanted invader would create. Spike proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, for instance, are grown on cancer cell walls, triggering an immune response against cancer cells. However, the challenge has been that tumors evolve, and each one may develop differently, making it difficult for vaccines to be effective.
To address this, the research team developed chimeric nanobodies with lipid tails, engineered in cell factories. These nanobodies self-assemble with lipids, forming mRNA-lipid nanoparticles with protruding nanobodies on the surface. These surface nanobodies enable the nanoparticles to specifically attach to tumors that overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), a common trait in many cancer cells.
When these nanoparticles bind to the tumor surface, they enter the tumor and release the mRNA, which expresses the spike proteins. These spike proteins effectively stimulate a robust immune response in the body. Ultimately, the activated immune system will recognize these spike protein-marked tumors and destroy them.
One of the key advantages of this new research is that these nanoparticles do not rely on polyethylene glycol (PEG), a common bioengineering chemical that can cause adverse reactions in patients. By altering the nanobody part, the targeted nanoparticles can be adapted for a wide range of tumors.
While the team has seen promising results from testing the spike protein-induced immune response to targeted cancer cells, further investigation and refinement are necessary before human medical trials. The next step is to develop methods for larger-scale manufacturing of these tumor-targeting mRNA-lipid nanoparticles, as they are currently produced in small batches.
Yuan Wan believes that these mRNA treatments could be a breakthrough in various medical fields, including infectious diseases, oncology, and immune modulation. He suggests that they could revolutionize preventive and therapeutic medicine, marking a significant advancement in cancer treatment and beyond.
The research team includes Binghamton postdoctoral researcher Md. Mofizur Rahman, Chuandong Zhu and Lixue Wang from the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jing Wang from Nanjing University Medical School, and Yun Zhang from Nanjing Regenecore Biotech Co. This collaborative effort highlights the potential of mRNA cancer vaccines to transform healthcare.
