In der Mausstudie | Das neue Drogenlieferungssystem aktiviert nur, wenn es in einem Tumor in einem Tumor ist, und fordert das eigene Immunsystem des Körpers auf, um es zu zerstören

From the article: A new breakthrough from researchers at the University of Cambridge removes the dangers involved in a process called STING, in which the body’s own immune system can be enlisted to fight cancer. The [finding](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-01930-9) clears the way for a powerful, and safe, weapon against tumors.

Enlisting our innate immune systems to help us combat cancer is one of the most promising, modern ways to deal with the disease. In fact, just this summer, researchers announced the proof of concept of a kind of universal cancer vaccine that works by training our immune systems to blast away any type of cancer cell in the body.

One of the immunological pathways researchers are investigating to combat tumors is called STING, which stands for „stimulator of interferon genes.“ The STING pathway acts like a kind of an alarm system in the body. It is activated when a cell signals the presence of stray DNA in its cytoplasm and releases a sensor protein called cGAS. This marshals a STING protein to sit on the membrane of a cell and set off a chain reaction that calls in backup from the rest of the immune system.

To combat cancer, researchers have experimented with drugs called STING agonists that kick off this alarm system to attack tumors, but the issue is that these drugs don’t necessarily work directly at the tumor site. As a result, they can cause excessive inflammation at other spots in the body, which can be dangerous and cause significant side effects.

Seeking to make a better STING agonist, researchers at the University of Cambridge came up with an elegant solution.