Anticancer drug-mediated induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) is known to block metastasis or recurrence in tumor by promoting specific immune activation against cancer antigens; however, this strategy has failed to afford adequate treatment efficiency. Korean research team at the University of Ulsan reported that they developed lipid nanoparticles carrying membrane proteins of tumor cells. This is a strategy to use it as a patient-specific treatment for prevention of metastasis and recurrence of the tumor after surgery by induction of the patient own immunity. The study appears in the journal Advanced functional materials in April.

Prof. Jin team synthesized lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) containing cancer cell surface proteins and decorated with high-mobility group box 1 protein and calreticulin, indicators of ICD, and named artificial ICD LNPs (AiLNPs). The administration of AiLNPs effectively induced dendritic cell and T cell activation in mice, which inhibited CT-26 carcinoma and LLC1 lung cancer growth by inducing tumor specific cellular immunity. 

Finally, AiLNPs synthesized with human breast cancer membrane proteins elicited human DC-mediated cytotoxic T cell activation in peripheral blood, which effectively killed human breast cancer cells. Therefore, AiLNPs are expected to be developed as a patient-specific cancer treatment to prevent cancer recurrence and metastasis.

Professor Jin said, "AiLNP developed in this study can selectively kill cancer cells by inducing antigen-specific immune activity." "It is thought that the AiLNP can be produced using cancer cells obtained through biopsy or surgery of tumor, and it is expected to be used as a prevention vaccine against recurrence and metastasis."

Schematic illustration of artificial immunogenic cell death lipid nanoparticle (AiLNP)-mediated cancer immunotherapy. 

[Reference] S.-J.Kim et al., (2023) “Artificial Immunogenic Cell Death Lipid Nanoparticle Functions as a Therapeutic Vaccine for Cancer” Advanced Functional Materials

[Main Author] So-Jung Kim (University of Ulsan), Jun-O Jin (University of Ulsan) 

* Contact email : Professor Jun-O Jin (junojin@amc.seoul.kr)