Nanoparticles, or tiny molecules that can deliver a payload of drug treatments and other agents, show great promise for treating cancers. Scientists can build them in various shapes with different materials, often as porous, crystal-like structures formed by a lattice of metal and organic compounds, or as capsules that enclose their contents inside a shell. When injected into a tumor, these particles can release treatments that attack cancer cells directly or complement other treatments like immunotherapy and radiation.
“This was an unusual collaboration between medicine and inorganic chemistry to solve this unmet need of treating tumors that are intractable to conventional therapy,” said Ralph Weichselbaum, MD, the Daniel K. Ludwig Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at UChicago. “We were able to deliver an immune stimulant that has anti-tumor activity on its own, and enabled radiation and immunotherapy to cure these tumors.”
The study, “Zinc cyclic di-AMP nanoparticles target and suppress tumors via endothelial STING activation and tumor-associated macrophage reinvigoration,” was published in Nature Nanotechnology on October 26, 2022.
Cold, hot, and hotter tumors
As always with cancer, some tumors prove resistant to even the most high-tech of treatments. Immunotherapy unleashes the body’s immune system to find and destroy cancer cells, but the tumors must be “hot” or inflamed for these treatments to be effective. So called “cold” tumors that aren’t inflamed can hide from the immune system but continue to grow and metastasize.
In a pair of studies published in 2014, Weichselbaum and other UChicago researchers showed that mice that lacked a protein pathway called STING did not mount an effective immune response to cancer in conjunction with immunotherapy or high-dose radiation treatment. STING, short for Stimulator of Interferon Genes complex, is a crucial part of the process the immune system relies on to detect threats–such as infections or cancer cells—that are marked by the presence of DNA that is damaged or in the wrong place, inside the cell but outside the nucleus.
Wenbin Lin, Ph.D., the James Franck Professor of Chemistry at UChicago, specializes in building nanostructures that can deliver a variety of compounds to tumors. Nanoparticles tend to get trapped in tumors because of their haywire vasculature and lymphatic systems, thus they can deliver more of their payloads exactly where needed. Lin has developed a new type of particle called nanoscale coordination polymers (NCPs) that have a non-toxic zinc phosphate core surrounded by layers of lipids. These NCPs have the advantage that they can be engineered for controlled release, further increasing drug deposition in tumors.
Lin, who is trained as an inorganic chemist, says he is in a unique situation working on medical treatments because of his experience designing particles with different properties. “It’s a unique technology that is well-suited for delivering many drug agents. We already know how to modify the surface so they can circulate in the blood and not be engulfed by macrophages,” he said.
A versatile technology
In the new study, Weichselbaum and Lin’s teams loaded the NCPs with a nucleotide called cyclic dimeric adenosine monophosphate (CDA). CDA is a bit of DNA that bacteria generate when they invade a host; its sudden appearance—whether by infection or dropped off by a nanoparticle—triggers the STING pathway and the host’s innate immune response to fight the cancer.
This boosted immune response attacked the tumors in multiple ways, suppressing tumor growth and preventing metastasis in several types of cancers. It disrupted endothelial cells in the blood vessels of tumors, further increasing the deposition of CDA in tumors. Surprisingly, it also enhanced the ability of tumor-associated macrophages that had infiltrated tumors to present antigens that mark them for attack by anti-tumor T-cells.
In addition, this approach made non-inflamed, cold pancreatic tumors more susceptible to immunotherapy treatment. It was also effective against glioma, effectively crossing the blood-brain barrier to reverse resistance to immunotherapy and enhance the effects of radiation treatments.
“That’s the brilliant part of these nanoformulations. We were able to encapsulate a STING agonist that is extremely potent and promotes both innate and adaptive immunity,” Weichselbaum said.
Lin, who has formed a startup company called Coordination Pharmaceuticals to develop NCPs, is enthusiastic about their potential for more clinical uses.
“This has tremendous potential because we’re not limited to a single compound. We can formulate other nucleotides and use other drugs in the same NCP,” he said. “The technology is versatile, and we are exploring ways to optimize formulations to take more NCP candidates into clinical trials. Small startups can advance clinical candidates in a much shorter amount of time than big drug companies.”
The study is titled “Zinc cyclic di-AMP nanoparticles target and suppress tumors via endothelial STING activation and tumor-associated macrophage reinvigoration.” Additional authors include Kaiting Yang, Wenbo Han, Xiaomin Jiang, Andras Piffko, Jason Bugno, Hua Liang, Ziwan Xu, Wenxin Zheng, Liangliang Wang, Jiaai Wang, and Xiaona Huang from the University of Chicago; Chuanhui Han from Peking University, China; Sirui Li and Jenny P. Y. Ting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Yang-Xin Fu from Tsinghua University, China.

News
Does Space-Time Really Exist?
Is time something that flows — or just an illusion? Exploring space-time as either a fixed “block universe” or a dynamic fabric reveals deeper mysteries about existence, change, and the very nature of reality. [...]
Unlocking hidden soil microbes for new antibiotics
Most bacteria cannot be cultured in the lab-and that's been bad news for medicine. Many of our frontline antibiotics originated from microbes, yet as antibiotic resistance spreads and drug pipelines run dry, the soil [...]
By working together, cells can extend their senses beyond their direct environment
The story of the princess and the pea evokes an image of a highly sensitive young royal woman so refined, she can sense a pea under a stack of mattresses. When it comes to [...]
Overworked Brain Cells May Hold the Key to Parkinson’s
Scientists at Gladstone Institutes uncovered a surprising reason why dopamine-producing neurons, crucial for smooth body movements, die in Parkinson’s disease. In mice, when these neurons were kept overactive for weeks, they began to falter, [...]
Old tires find new life: Rubber particles strengthen superhydrophobic coatings against corrosion
Development of highly robust superhydrophobic anti-corrosion coating using recycled tire rubber particles. Superhydrophobic materials offer a strategy for developing marine anti-corrosion materials due to their low solid-liquid contact area and low surface energy. However, [...]
This implant could soon allow you to read minds
Mind reading: Long a science fiction fantasy, today an increasingly concrete scientific goal. Researchers at Stanford University have succeeded in decoding internal language in real time thanks to a brain implant and artificial intelligence. [...]
A New Weapon Against Cancer: Cold Plasma Destroys Hidden Tumor Cells
Cold plasma penetrates deep into tumors and attacks cancer cells. Short-lived molecules were identified as key drivers. Scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), working with colleagues from Greifswald University Hospital and [...]
This Common Sleep Aid May Also Protect Your Brain From Alzheimer’s
Lemborexant and similar sleep medications show potential for treating tau-related disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that a commonly used sleep medication can restore normal sleep patterns and [...]
Sugar-Coated Nanoparticles Boost Cancer Drug Efficacy
A team of researchers at the University of Mississippi has discovered that coating cancer treatment carrying nanoparticles in a sugar-like material increases their treatment efficacy. They reported their findings in Advanced Healthcare Materials. Over a tenth of breast [...]
Nanoparticle-Based Vaccine Shows Promise in Fighting Cancer
In a study published in OncoImmunology, researchers from the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University have created a therapeutic vaccine that mobilizes the immune system to target cancer cells. The researchers demonstrated that virus peptides combined [...]
Quantitative imaging method reveals how cells rapidly sort and transport lipids
Lipids are difficult to detect with light microscopy. Using a new chemical labeling strategy, a Dresden-based team led by André Nadler at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and [...]
Ancient DNA reveals cause of world’s first recorded pandemic
Scientists have confirmed that the Justinian Plague, the world’s first recorded pandemic, was caused by Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium behind the Black Death. Dating back some 1,500 years and long described in historical texts but [...]
“AI Is Not Intelligent at All” – Expert Warns of Worldwide Threat to Human Dignity
Opaque AI systems risk undermining human rights and dignity. Global cooperation is needed to ensure protection. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has changed how people interact, but it also poses a global risk to human [...]
Nanomotors: Where Are They Now?
First introduced in 2004, nanomotors have steadily advanced from a scientific curiosity to a practical technology with wide-ranging applications. This article explores the key developments, recent innovations, and major uses of nanomotors today. A [...]
Study Finds 95% of Tested Beers Contain Toxic “Forever Chemicals”
Researchers found PFAS in 95% of tested beers, with the highest levels linked to contaminated local water sources. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), better known as forever chemicals, are gaining notoriety for their ability [...]
Long COVID Symptoms Are Closer To A Stroke Or Parkinson’s Disease Than Fatigue
When most people get sick with COVID-19 today, they think of it as a brief illness, similar to a cold. However, for a large number of people, the illness doesn't end there. The World [...]