First dual-targeting nanoparticles lower cancer's defenses and attack tumors

Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most exciting directions in cancer treatment. But the approach only works in a fraction of patients and can cause nasty side effects. Now, in the journal ACS Nano, scientists report the development of the first dual-cell targeting immunotherapy nanoparticle that slows tumor growth in mice with different cancers. In their study, up to half the mice in one cancer group went into full remission after the treatment. Immunotherapy works by giving the body's own immune system a boost in its fight against disease. In cancer patients, there are two main lines of immunotherapy: One disables cancer cells' ability to hide from the immune system, and the other recruits the body's T cells to destroy tumors. Jonathan P. Schneck and colleagues wanted to see if they could combine these two tactics with one nanoparticle-based platform.