New research from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering harnesses focused ultrasound to reprogram solid tumors, making them more effective targets for immune cells.
New research from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering harnesses focused ultrasound to reprogram solid tumors, making them more effective targets for immune cells.
USC biomedical engineers have found a way to make a solid tumor paint a target on its own back in order to train the body’s immune system to find and destroy it.
The research team from USC Viterbi’s Wang Lab used focused ultrasound waves to “prime” tumor cells so they can be more easily recognized and attacked by chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, the engineered immune cells that have revolutionized treatment for blood cancers but have until now struggled against solid tumors. The research has been published in Nature Materials.
CAR T-cell therapy works remarkably well in the bloodstream, where rogue cancer cells are exposed and easily targeted. However, solid tumors are another story. They hide deep in tissue, shielded by a microenvironment fortress of healthy cells. Every tumor is different, making it hard to find a single “flag” that marks cancer cells without causing damage to healthy ones.
Read More: University of Southern California
