TROJAN CIRCULATING TUMOR CELLS

Smart overview of the Invention

Innovative compositions and methods focus on engineering treatment-resistant circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to produce immune-stimulating or anti-cancer exosomes. These exosomes can be infused into patients, enabling them to target primary tumors and metastatic lesions effectively. The approach also involves creating a population of engineered exosome-loaded dendritic cells that can activate a systemic immune response when administered to the patient.

Challenges in Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising cancer treatment; however, it faces significant hurdles in combating solid tumors due to the tumor microenvironment's defensive mechanisms. These defenses can include immunosuppression at critical checkpoints and various enzymatic activities that hinder immune responses. Consequently, there is a pressing need for methods that can bypass these tumor defenses effectively.

Steps in the Treatment Process

The proposed methods for treating cancer patients involve several key steps:

• Extracting circulating tumor cells from the patient.
• Isolating treatment-resistant CTCs from this population.
• Genetically engineering these CTCs to produce immune-stimulating exosomes.
• Administering the engineered CTCs back to the patient.

Additional steps may include harvesting exosomes from CTCs, incubating them with dendritic cells, and administering these exosome-loaded dendritic cells to enhance the immune response.

Isolation Techniques for CTCs

The isolation of CTCs from patients is crucial for the success of these methods. Various techniques can be employed to extract significant numbers of CTCs, including:

• Biological fluid filtration systems.
• Immunomagnetic separation.
• Microfluidic separation techniques.

These methods aim to ensure high purity and viability of isolated CTCs, which are essential for subsequent engineering and therapeutic applications.

Potential Impact on Cancer Treatment

The described approach offers a novel strategy for infiltrating solid tumors using "trojan" cells that are engineered to evade the patient's immune defenses. By leveraging the self-homing ability of CTCs and enhancing their immune-stimulating properties, this method holds promise for improving outcomes in cancer treatment and addressing current limitations faced by traditional immunotherapy approaches.