The hardest task in cancer therapy is eliminating tumour cells with minimum damage to healthy cells.
Despite advances in treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, these are not precise enough. This lack of precision prevents doctors from using the high doses needed to fully destroy cancer cells without causing harmful side effects for patients.
In view of these challenges, scientists are exploring alternative treatment approaches, including leveraging the body’s own defences against cancer.
Paul Ehrlich, a pioneer in immunology who won the Nobel Prize in 1908, was among the first to suggest using the immune system to fight existing tumours. He proposed that products of the immune system we call antibodies could be used to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells.
Over the last 40 years, scientific advancements have led to the development of antibody therapies that work on tumour antigens – molecules located on the surface of tumour cells but absent in healthy cells. By latching on to their target, engineered antibodies trigger tumour destruction through various mechanisms, including the recruitment of cancer-fighting immune cells and disruption of malignant cell proliferation.
One of the groundbreaking advancements in antibody engineering is the innovative technique known as ‘Phage Display’
Fuelled by continuous investment in fundamental research, the antibody-based oncology therapeutics field has flourished since 1997, leading to the approval by authorities of over 50 treatments. As a result, oncologists worldwide are increasingly using these therapies to treat various types of cancer.
Discovering tumour antigens and engineering antibodies that specifically bind to them remains at the forefront of scientific research across the globe, and scientists at the University of Malta are playing a role in this process.
One of the groundbreaking advancements in antibody engineering is the innovative technique known as ‘Phage Display’. This method allows researchers to replicate the vast array of antibodies present in a human body – collectively referred to as a ‘Phage Library’ – in a laboratory setting. Utilising this Phage Library, in a project titled LUCIA, scientists at the University of Malta have successfully identified antibodies that specifically target newly discovered lung-tumour-associated antigens.
However, our efforts extend beyond initial discoveries. By testing the Phage Library on both whole lung tumour cells and normal cells, the research team is taking steps to find the precise antibodies that target previously unknown tumour antigens. This approach not only broadens the scope of potential therapeutic targets but also paves the way for more precise and effective cancer treatments.
We must first explore the properties of these novel antibodies, but once that is done, we will adopt cutting-edge technologies, including bioinformatics and artificial intelligence, to further fine-tune their cancer-fighting capabilities.
Project LUCIA (REP-20[23-013]) is financed by Xjenza Malta, through the Research Excellence Programme.
Sound Bites
• Swimming robots play a crucial role in mapping pollution, studying aquatic ecosystems and monitoring water quality in sensitive areas such as coral reefs or lake shores. However, many devices rely on noisy propellers, which can disturb or harm wildlife. The natural clutter in these environments – including plants, animals and debris – also poses a challenge to robotic swimmers. Now, researchers have developed a compact and versatile robot that can manoeuvre through tight spaces and transport payloads much heavier than itself. Smaller than a credit card and weighing six grams, the nimble swimming robot is ideal for environments with limited space, like rice fields, or for performing inspections in waterborne machines. The research has been published in Science Robotics.
• Rapid, localised heat management is essential for electronic devices and could have applications ranging from wearable materials to burn treatment. While so-called thermoelectric materials convert temperature differences to electrical voltage and vice versa, their efficiency is often limited, and their production is costly and wasteful. Researchers have now used a 3D printing technique to fabricate high-performance thermoelectric materials, reducing production costs significantly.
For more soundbites, listen to Radio Mocha every Saturday at 7.30pm on Radju Malta and the following Monday at 9pm on Radju Malta 2 https://www.fb.com/RadioMochaMalta/.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Tom Baker’s scarf for Doctor Who was around 20 feet long. Its maker, Begonia Pope, mistakenly believed she had to use all the wool she was given.
• The inventor of Coca-Cola had to take wine out of his original product to comply with state laws.
• One of the smelliest substances in the world is ‘US Government Standard Bathroom Malodor’, made to mimic the smell of military latrines for the purposes of testing cleaning products.
• Two brothers have created a wearable graphene jacket that renders the wearers invisible to infrared cameras.
For more trivia, see: www.um.edu.mt/think.