Researchers report a noninvasive medicine that they put into the nose of mice. The medicine uses spherical nucleic acids, tiny particles with short DNA strands around a nanoparticle core. The study appears in PNAS.
The team designed the DNA to activate STING, an immune pathway that detects foreign DNA and starts an immune response. They put droplets into the nasal passages and tracked the particles with a near-infrared tag along the main nerve that connects facial muscles to the brain.
The therapy reached immune cells near and in the tumour. Combined with drugs that activate T lymphocytes, one or two doses eradicated tumours and produced long-term immunity in mice.
Difficult words
- noninvasive — Not strongly affecting the body or health.
- treatment — Methods used to help illness or injury.treatments
- tumor — An abnormal growth of cells in the body.tumors
- research — A careful study to learn more about something.
- immune — Related to the body's defense against illness.
- deliver — To send or bring something to a place.delivered
- response — A reaction to something that happens.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why is noninvasive treatment important for patients?
- How do you think this method will change cancer treatment?
- What are some advantages of using nasal delivery for medicine?
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