Certain forms of cancer, such as ovarian, are extremely difficult to treat. Not only are they typically diagnosed at an advanced stage, but the necessary dose of immunotherapy can also be too much for the body to handle. A recent Medgadget article discussed a new treatment method that improves localized immunotherapy at the site of a tumor with the use of tiny beads.
The tiny polymer beads contain cytokine-producing ARPE-19 cells that stimulate the immune system to attack the tumor. The novel cytokine delivery system produced an immune response that’s essentially a “drug factory” that pumps out cytokine. The researchers have used the technology to eradicate ovarian and colorectal cancers in rodents, and hope to shift to human patients soon. Here is a video with more information.
