Researchers at the Houston Methodist Research Institute have developed a new way to treat an aggressive and hard to treat type of pancreatic cancer by delivering immunotherapies directly to a tumour using a device that’s that is the size of a rice grain.
In a paper published in the peer reviewed journal Advanced Science, the researchers detailed their use of the nanofluidic device to deliver immunotherapy – a promising candidate called CD40 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) – in a sustained low-dose manner.
They found in mice models that the tumour reduced with a dosage four times lower than that used in traditionally administered immune medicine.
While CD40 monoclonal antibodies are known to be effective against pancreatic ductal carcinoma, they can elicit an immune response causing side effects that could be fatal or persist lifelong.
“Immunotherapy can cause immune related adverse events such as pneumonitis, hepatitis, rashes, or myocarditis,” says Corrine Ying Xuan Chua, PhD, co-corresponding author and assistant professor of nanomedicine at the institute.
Promising results
“The device is made of biocompatible components or medical grade materials. We have tested the stability of material components over time and found it to be safe in animals,” says Dr Chua in an email interaction with Happiest Health.
She says that local treatment with immunotherapy was highly effective in mice with one mouse being tumour-free for 100 days of continuous observation.
“Our goal is to transform the way cancer is treated,” says Alessandro Grattoni, Ph D, co-corresponding author and chair of the Department of Nanomedicine at the institute. “We see this device as a viable approach to penetrating the pancreatic tumour in a minimally invasive and effective manner, allowing for a more focused therapy using less medication.”
While this promises to be a positive step in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, work is still under way to determine the safety and efficacy of this new delivery technology in humans. The researchers said they hope the device could be a viable option for cancer patients before the end of the decade.
“The next steps would entail production of the device in accordance with FDA guidelines for testing in humans,” adds Dr Chua. “We envision [it to happen] realistically within three to five years, although we are actively working to shorten the timeframe.”
