카이스트, '항암 나노백신 및 면역치료' 최적화 신기술 개발<br /><br />Current immunotherapy for cancer only works on about a quarter of patients.<br />But a research group from KAIST has developed a nano-vaccine which could make this treatment method far more effective.<br />Our Jang Tae-hyun has more.<br />A research team from KAIST, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, has developed a nano-vaccine for cancer.<br />The nano-vaccine works by using nano-particles to carry tumor antigens to immune cells, so that the body's immune system can destroy the cancer cells.<br />Doctoral student Kim Yujin has spent the last five years working on how to use nano-particles to prevent tumors from growing.<br />She says this nano-vaccine can make current immunotherapy treatment more effective.<br />"Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has recently attracted attention as an anti-cancer therapy, but the problem is that the majority of cancer patients do not respond to this therapy."<br />According to a clinical study, the current treatment method only works on around a quarter of patients.<br />The nano-vaccine will activate our body's immune cells and prevent tumors from growing and relapsing.<br />"Also, we confirmed that use of our cancer nano-vaccines in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors can significantly enhance the therapeutic effect by considering the sequence and timing of administration."<br />The next step is further trials to determine how best to combine the nano-vaccine and the immune checkpoint blockade therapy.<br />"This nano-vaccine may be able to be commercialized in 10 years from now, but still long way to go."<br />After more clinical trials, the nano-vaccine will begin FDA checks.<br />Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News, Daejeon.<br />
