A research led by Pohang College of Science and Know-how (POSTECH) and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in South Korea particulars the creation of urea-powered nanomotors that improve immunotherapy for bladder most cancers. The nanomotors open up new prospects in oncology by extra successfully activating the immune system and surpassing the effectiveness of presently used remedies. The research was revealed within the journal Nature Communications.
Immunotherapy utilizing BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), a weakened bacterium injected into the bladder to set off an immune response towards tumor cells, is presently the usual therapy for non-invasive bladder most cancers. Important drawbacks of this therapy embody the requirement for repeated doses, critical adversarial results, and decreased effectiveness in some sufferers. The novel nanomotor-based therapy offers a stronger substitute, which significantly slows the expansion of tumors in preclinical mouse fashions and extra successfully prompts the immune system.
Urease is an enzyme these self-propelled nanoparticles use to react with urine urea. Their mobility permits them to be dispersed extra successfully all through the bladder, exactly reaching tumor cells and lengthening the period of the treatment’s presence within the impacted tissue.
The nanomotors’ floor incorporates a STING agonist, a vital molecule in immune system activation.
Now we have proven that our strategy is more practical than standard BCG therapy in mice, which is a breakthrough in immunotherapy for one of these most cancers.
Samuel Sánchez, Research Co-Chief and ICREA Analysis Professor, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)
The researchers paired the nanomotors with a PD-1 inhibitor, a medicine that forestalls tumor cells from utilizing an escape mechanism, to additional strengthen the immune response.
“The mixture of our nanomotors with the anti-PD-1 therapy confirmed a exceptional synergy that would result in more practical mixture therapies with fewer uncomfortable side effects,” added Sánchez.
The research marks a major development within the hunt for novel therapy approaches for bladder most cancers, a situation that necessitates intensive and protracted care resulting from its excessive recurrence charge.
This research’s contributors included PHI BIOMED Co., the Korea Superior Institute of Science and Know-how (KAIST), CIC biomaGUNE of the Basque Nation, Seoul Nationwide College, and Seoul Nationwide College Hospital.
Journal Reference:
Choi, H., et al. (2025) Urease-powered nanomotor containing STING agonist for bladder most cancers immunotherapy. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54293-z