Overview
- Researchers report in Nature Materials that pairing the IL-12 nanoparticles with checkpoint inhibitors eliminated metastatic disease in more than 80% of treated mice.
- The liposome particles tether IL-12 via a stable maleimide linker and use a poly‑L‑glutamate coating to target ovarian tumor surfaces for localized delivery.
- Controlled release over about one week improved T cell activation; as a single agent the particles cleared tumors in roughly 30% of mice.
- Cured animals rejected reintroduced tumor cells five months later, indicating durable immune memory in the preclinical models.
- The team, led by MIT’s Paula Hammond with Darrell Irvine, is pursuing a spinout through MIT’s Deshpande Center and cites a scalable manufacturing method, with human safety and efficacy yet to be tested.