A study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea describes the development of urea-powered nanomotors that improve immunotherapy for bladder cancer. The nanomotors activate the immune system more efficiently and exceed the efficacy of currently used treatments, opening up new possibilities in oncology.
A research team led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea has developed an innovative nanomotor-based strategy to improve immunotherapy for bladder cancer. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, offers a promising alternative to the limitations of existing treatments.
We have shown that our approach is more effective than conventional BCG treatment in mice, which is a breakthrough in immunotherapy for this type of cancer.
Samuel Sánchez
Today, the conventional treatment for non-invasive bladder cancer is immunotherapy with BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), a weakened bacterium that is introduced into the bladder to stimulate an immune response against tumour cells. However, this treatment has important limitations, such as the need for multiple administrations, severe side effects and reduced efficacy in certain patients. The new nanomotor-based therapy offers a more effective alternative, activating the immune system more efficiently and significantly reducing tumour growth in preclinical mouse models.
These nanomotors are self-propelled nanoparticles that use the enzyme urease to react with urea in urine. This ability to move allows them to be distributed more efficiently in the bladder, reaching tumour cells more precisely and prolonging the drug’s time in the affected tissue.
The nanomotors carry on their surface a STING agonist, a key molecule in the activation of the immune system. ‘We have shown that our approach is more effective than conventional BCG treatment in mice, which is a breakthrough in immunotherapy for this type of cancer,’ explains Samuel Sánchez, ICREA Research Professor at IBEC and co-leader of the study.
To further boost the immune response, the researchers combined the nanomotors with a PD-1 inhibitor, a treatment that blocks an escape mechanism used by tumour cells. “The combination of our nanomotors with the anti-PD-1 treatment showed a remarkable synergy that could lead to more effective combination therapies with fewer side effects,” adds Sánchez.
The study represents an important advance in the search for new therapeutic strategies for bladder cancer, a disease with a high recurrence rate that requires aggressive and prolonged treatment.
PHI BIOMED Co., Seoul National University, Seoul National University Hospital, CIC biomaGUNE of the Basque Country and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) participated in this work.
Referenced article:
Hyunsik Choi, Seung-hwan Jeong, Cristina Simó, Anna Bakenecker, Jordi Liop, Hye Sun Lee, Tae Yeon Kim, Cheol Kwak, Gou Young Koh, Samuel Sánchez & Sei Kwang Hahn. Urease-powered nanomotor containing STING agonist for bladder cancer immunotherapy. Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54293-z
