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Targeted Nanoparticles Help Checkpoint Drugs Erase Ovarian Tumors in Mice

The Nature Materials study reports week-long, tumor-localized IL-12 delivery that overcame immunotherapy resistance in metastatic models.

Overview

  • In metastatic ovarian cancer mouse models, pairing the IL-12 nanoparticles with checkpoint inhibitors eliminated tumors in more than 80% of treated animals.
  • Nanoparticles alone cleared disease in roughly 30% of mice while boosting T cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.
  • The liposomal particles tether IL-12 via a stable maleimide linker and use a poly‑L‑glutamate coating to target tumor cells and release cytokine over about a week.
  • Cured mice rejected new tumor cells five months later, indicating durable antitumor immune memory.
  • Researchers report the work as preclinical and are pursuing scale-up and a potential spinout through MIT’s Deshpande Center following publication in Nature Materials.