Artificial White Blood Cells: A Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment

Artificial White Blood Cells: A Big Step in the Search for a Cancer Vaccine

More and more voices of science assure that cancer will soon become a chronic disease and that a little later it will be cured. The challenge is not easy. What we know by the generic name of cancer are actually more than 200 completely different diseases. The advances of the last decades point, however, in the right direction. The achievement of the American group that has cured skin, brain, and breast tumors in mice fuels the flame of optimism. Scientists and clinicians agree that they receive the news with caution but with “great hope.”

Although the research has a long way to go and time to become routine clinical practice, it is one of the great advances against cancer this year. “There are well-founded reasons to trust it,” says researcher Francisco Borrego, coordinator of the Immunology group at the Biocruces Bizkaia Research Institute, in Osakidetza.

The Pennsylvania Biophysical Engineering Laboratory has developed artificial white blood cells capable of defeating breast, skin, and brain cancer. The designed therapy, successfully tested both in the laboratory and in mice, has a double advantage. It not only cleanses the body of cancer cells but also teaches the immune system to recognize and kill them. In other words, it acts with memory, in the same way that vaccines against major infectious diseases do, such as measles, rubella, or chickenpox.

The finding is not the result of chance, nor does it represent a complete break with previous research. What is truly new, according to Francisco Borrego, is that it has been possible to apply it to solid tumors (those that attack organs), something that until now was only possible with liquid tumors (such as blood tumors). “It seemed like something very difficult, but they have achieved it,” stresses the Basque specialist. The doors that open in the fight against cancer, according to what he says, are now very large.

The therapy has shown promising results, with 80% of the mice undergoing the treatment overcoming cancer and developing antibodies.

The search for treatments against solid tumors has the drawback of how complex it is to design molecules that cross masses and act on a specific point. To overcome this obstacle, the group led in Pennsylvania by the scientist Dennis Discher, professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, had the ingenuity to try it with a type of cell called macrophages due to its ability to devour substances that invade the organism.

Macrophages act against viruses and bacteria and have memory to remember invading agents. The problem they pose is that, being part of the human body, they do not recognize cancer cells as invaders but rather as part of the body itself. Instead, the artificial macrophages that they have developed in the Pennsylvania laboratory do. They are capable of curing cancer and even protecting 80% of their model mice against future relapses. This progress could potentially change the way cancer is treated, generating an immune memory response in solid tumors that allows for greater protection, similar to a vaccine.

The challenge now lies in knowing if the results obtained with mice are repeated in humans, which is not always achieved. “It could happen that it was not like that, but the work is very well designed and very well put into practice. I think it has a good chance of coming to fruition,” confides Francisco Borrego.

The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology is more cautious. “It looks promising, but as always, caution. The modification of immune cells by engineering is already used in CAR-T cell therapy,” said Rodrigo Sánchez-Bayona, a medical oncologist at Hospital Doce de Octubre, and SEOM scientific secretary. “The preclinical and clinical development phase still needs to be completed,” the expert stressed.

In conclusion, the development of artificial white blood cells that can effectively target and eliminate cancer cells is a significant step forward in the search for a cancer vaccine. While there is still much research and testing to be done, the potential for this therapy to revolutionize cancer treatment is promising. The hope is that further studies will confirm the positive results seen in mice and pave the way for future advancements in the fight against cancer.

How do artificial white blood cells mimic the natural defense mechanisms of the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells?

Phages. These artificial white blood cells are engineered to mimic the natural defense mechanisms of the immune system and target cancer cells.

The macrophages, which are naturally occurring immune cells, are modified to express specific receptors that recognize and bind to cancer cells. Once attached, the artificial white blood cells effectively engulf and destroy the cancer cells, while also activating the immune system to mount a stronger response against the disease. This dual action of targeting and stimulating the immune system is what makes this therapy so promising.

In the laboratory tests, the researchers observed that the artificial white blood cells were able to eliminate breast, skin, and brain tumors in mice. The mice not only showed complete remission of the cancer, but also developed antibodies that target the specific type of cancer cells, providing long-term protection.

While these findings hold great promise, there is still a long way to go before this therapy can be translated into clinical practice. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the artificial white blood cells in humans. Additionally, the researchers need to optimize the therapy for different cancer types and explore potential side effects.

Despite these challenges, this breakthrough represents a significant step forward in the search for a cancer vaccine. The ability to effectively target and eliminate solid tumors opens up new possibilities in the fight against cancer. With further development and refinement, this therapy has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment and bring us closer to a cure.

The scientific community recognizes the importance of this research and its potential impact on cancer treatment. While cautious, they are filled with hope and excitement about the possibilities it presents. As we continue to make progress in understanding the complexities of cancer, breakthroughs like these give us renewed optimism that a cure is within reach.