‘Factory’ implant shows promise for fighting several cancers
- Researchers have developed an implantable “factory” that produces cytokines to trigger potent immune responses against various cancers, including metastatic melanoma and pancreatic tumors.
- The IL-12 cytokine factory successfully recruits specialized immune cells called precursor exhausted T cells (Tpex cells), leading to a large population of tumor-targeting T cells with broad molecular profiles.
- Preclinical models showed that the IL-12 cytokine factory, combined with checkpoint inhibitors, effectively eliminated local and distal tumors in metastatic melanoma and colorectal and pancreatic cancers.
- The technology demonstrated safety in both mouse and nonhuman primate models, providing a promising foundation for an investigational new drug application (IND) with the US FDA in early 2026.
- The researchers hope that this technology will significantly impact cancer patients by enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy approaches in the clinic, and are grateful for support from ARPA-H and other funding institutions.
A team of researchers has developed an implantable “cytokine factory” that safely triggers potent immune responses against hard-to-treat cancers, including metastatic melanoma, pancreatic, and colorectal tumors.
The study in The Journal of ImmunoTherapy of Cancer details how an immunoprotected device near the tumor microenvironment containing cells engineered to locally release interleukin-12 (IL-12)—an “IL-12 cytokine factory”—successfully induces the recruitment of specialized immune cells called precursor exhausted T cells (Tpex cells).
This Tpex cell recruitment results in a large, durable population of tumor-targeting T cells with broad molecular profiles, both in isolation and in an enhanced manner when implemented in combination with other immunotherapy approaches.
The IL-12 cytokine factories in combination with checkpoint inhibitors successfully eliminated local and distal tumors in preclinical models of metastatic melanoma and colorectal and pancreatic cancers.
In addition to this robust efficacy signal, the IL-12 cytokine factory demonstrated safety in both mouse and nonhuman primate models.
This research will serve as the foundation for an investigational new drug application (IND) with the US FDA in early 2026, and Rice University Biotech Launch Pad LLC expects to launch an emerging biotech company centered on the groundbreaking IL-12 cytokine factory technology.
“We designed the IL-12 cytokine factory to enhance immunotherapy approaches while minimizing toxicity, a critical need in the treatment of particularly aggressive cancers,” says Omid Veiseh, professor of bioengineering, faculty director of the Rice University Biotech Launch Pad, and senior corresponding author of the publication.
“IL-12 is particularly impactful compared to other cytokines, as our research demonstrates that other cytokines primarily recruit homogeneous T cell populations and show reduced efficacy over time, while IL-12 generates a more robust antitumor response by recruiting a more durable, broader repertoire of tumor-targeting T cells.
“We are incredibly grateful to ARPA-H for their support in advancing this groundbreaking project and are hopeful that this technology will significantly impact the lives of cancer patients by enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy approaches in the clinic.”
“Harnessing the cellular immune system to target solid tumors is a common but often fraught approach to fighting cancer as the associated challenge of efficacious treatment without toxicity remains elusive,” says Nathan Reticker-Flynn, assistant professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University.
“Our study demonstrates not only the efficacy of this technology in preclinical models but also its safety profile, which is a critical aspect as we move toward clinical trials. This research represents an important step forward in the quest to provide more effective treatments for patients battling metastatic cancers.”
Support for the research came from an Avenge Bio Sponsored Research Award to Rice, the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas, the National Institutes of Health, and ARPA-H.
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding institutions.
Source: Rice University
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