Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment: A Nano-Platform That Boosts Immune Response

Radiation therapy often fails to trigger the desired immune response due to tumor hypoxia, poor stimulation, and an immunosuppressive environment. Scientists have developed a unique nanoplatform called THUNDER that enhances radiation therapy's effectiveness. This platform stays in the bloodstream longer and accumulates in tumors, making it highly effective. When used with radiation therapy, THUNDER destroys both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor tumor cells, releasing tumor-associated antigens that stimulate immune cells called dendritic cells. This leads to a strong immune response that fights cancer throughout the body. In mouse models, THUNDER combined with radiation therapy successfully slowed the growth of triple-negative breast cancer. Adding another treatment to block PD-L1 further reduced cancer spread and recurrence, boosting immune cells in distant tumors and the spleen. This new strategy could be a game-changer in fighting cancer metastasis and recurrence by targeting both types of tumor cells.