Activating lipid nanoparticles can streamline the production of CAR T-cells for cancer immunotherapy

[bennevisplace]

A bio- engineering breakthrough is reported here phys.org/news/2024-03-metho... and the article includes a link to the open access research paper.

Sorry, that's all folks. This is a phone and I'm on holiday. Italy shouldn't be this wet.

Ciao.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

That's a very interesting paper, thanks Bennevisplace - a silver lining for us from your poor holiday weather, which I hope improves for you. It explains a breakthrough which reduces the time to make CAR-T cells, by using the same technology used in the very successful mRNA based COVID-19 vaccines - activating lipid nanoparticles.

From the article introduction;

For patients with certain types of cancer, CAR T cell therapy has been nothing short of life changing. Developed in part by Carl June, Richard W. Vague Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine, and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017, CAR T cell therapy mobilizes patients' own immune systems to fight lymphoma and leukemia, among other cancers.

However, the process for manufacturing CAR T cells themselves is time-consuming and costly, requiring multiple steps across days. The process involves extracting patients' T cells, then activating them with tiny magnetic beads, before giving the T cells genetic instructions to make chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), the specialized receptors that help T cells eliminate cancer cells.

Now, Penn Engineers have developed a novel method for manufacturing CAR T cells, one that takes just 24 hours and requires only one step, thanks to the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the potent delivery vehicles that played a critical role in the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines.

In a new paper published in Advanced Materials, Michael J. Mitchell, associate professor in bioengineering, describes the creation of "activating lipid nanoparticles" (aLNPs), which can activate T cells and deliver the genetic instructions for CARs in a single step, greatly simplifying the CAR T cell manufacturing process.

Of note, both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were working on cancer applications of their mRNA delivery process before a pandemic resulted in a temporary redirection of their efforts

From Clinical advances and ongoing trials of mRNA vaccines for cancer treatment

thelancet.com/journals/lano...

In 1996, the first mRNA-based cancer vaccine study tested dendritic cells pulsed with RNA in vitro.8

Nowadays, technological advances have led to optimised mRNA structure, stability, and delivery methods, and multiple clinical trials are now enrolling patients with cancer for mRNA-based vaccine treatments.

And from the USA's National Cancer Institute Can mRNA Vaccines Help Treat Cancer?

cancer.gov/news-events/canc...

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spotlight on messenger RNA (mRNA)—the molecule that carries a cell’s instructions for making proteins. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide have received mRNA vaccines that provide powerful protection against severe COVID-19 caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2.

As stunningly successful as the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been, researchers have long hoped to use mRNA vaccines for a very different purpose—to treat cancer. mRNA-based cancer treatment vaccines have been tested in small trials for nearly a decade, with some promising early results.

In fact, scientists at both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna drew on their experience developing mRNA cancer vaccines to create their coronavirus vaccines.

Exciting times!

Neil

Activating lipid nanoparticles (as used in mRNA vaccines), simplify CAR-T manufacture

[bennevisplace in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks for setting out the highlights Neil. Couldn't have done it better myself 😅

[LeoPa]

Now that's promising!