Special nanoparticles improve human immune response against Cancer

Iranian researchers at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences produced a cancer vaccine by using liposome cationic nanoparticles.The vaccine activates body immunity system against one of the important cancer markers entitled HER2/neu. It has applications in pharmaceutical industries and in the treatment of breast, uterus, lung, and other types of cancer.Dr. Seyed Amir Jalali, a member of the research team, explained the procedure of the projects. \"Immunogenic peptides from HER2/neu protein were firstly designed by using bioinformatics. Then, a cation called LPD was encapsulated inside the nanoparticles, and it was injected to rats suffering from tumors. In the end, the size of the tumor and the immunity response were measured in the rats.\"\"The designed peptides were kept away from proteases by using the nanoparticles. Taking into consideration the cationic characteristic of the nanoparticles, the designed peptides were presented to dendritic cells. Most important of all, the injection dose of the surrounded peptides in liposome was much less than that of the same peptide in free form,\" he continued.The vaccine activates body immunity system against one of the important cancer markers entitled HER2/neu, and it has applications in pharmaceutical industries in the treatment of breast, uterus, lung, and other cancers. Results showed that very good immune response was created against cancer markers by using such peptides. A noticeable increase was observed when the liposome was added to the response.Results of the research have been published in July 2012 in Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, vol. 7, issue 5. For more information about the details of the research, visit the full paper on pages 692-701 of the same journal.