"Promising Gene Therapy Unveils Hidden Cancer Cells"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Phys.org
Researchers at Stanford have developed a biomolecule that selectively removes mucins from cancer cells, potentially leading to new therapies for cancer. Mucins are sugar-coated proteins that cancer cells exploit to evade the immune system. The biomolecule consists of a mucinase enzyme fused to a cancer-cell-targeting nanobody, allowing it to specifically target and prune mucins associated with cancer cells. In lab and mouse studies, the biomolecule treatment significantly reduced tumor growth and increased survival. This discovery has broad applications as mucins are associated with various diseases. Further research is needed to develop a human-derived mucinase for potential use in cancer therapy.