Nantong University Affiliated Hospital Licenses Novel Nanocomposite Technology for Postoperative Tumor Recurrence Suppression to Nantong Ruigu Medical Technology Co., Ltd.
Recently, the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University plans to transfer its owned“A Composite Material for Inhibiting Postoperative Tumor Recurrence, and Its Preparation Method and Application” Patent Technology, transferred to Nantong Ruigu Medical Technology Co., Ltd., with a transfer amount of RMBRMB 20,000.00. The inventor of this patented technology is the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityResearch Team Led by Professor Shi Wei。
Image from the official website of Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University
The invention patent proposed for conversion in this instance belongs toField of Medical Nanomaterials Technology, disclosedA Composite Material for Inhibiting Postoperative Tumor Recurrence, and Its Preparation Method and Application. This material is based onCopper, Palladiumprepared through a unique process based on , it possesses tunable enzyme-like activity capable of inducing intense oxidative stress in the tumor microenvironment. This composite material not only canChemodynamic Therapy (CDT) and Photothermal Therapy (PTT)Directly and efficiently eliminates residual glioma cells post-surgery, while simultaneously activating the body’s anti-tumor immune response to achieve indirect killing of residual and potentially metastatic tumor cells.
Glioblastoma (GBM)It is the most common and most malignant primary brain tumor in clinical practice. This disease has a very poor prognosis, with extremely high recurrence and mortality rates; the median overall survival for patients after diagnosis is only about 14.6 months. Currently, the standard treatment regimen for GBM primarily relies onSurgical resection, postoperative radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ)。
However, these methods cannot completely eliminate tumor cells, making postoperative recurrence still a severe clinical challenge. Therefore, openNovel Therapeutic Approaches to Effectively Prevent Tumor RecurrenceCrucial.
In recent years, immunotherapy has demonstrated significant potential across many cancer types and is regarded as a highly promising anticancer strategy. Scientists have discovered that the composition of immune cells plays a critical role in the tumor microenvironment of gliomas. For instance, in high-grade gliomas or glioblastomas, a large number of macrophages infiltrate from the bloodstream into the tumor region, whereas T lymphocytes capable of precisely killing cancer cells are scarce. This immunosuppressive microenvironment substantially facilitates tumor growth and enables evasion of immune attack.
Therefore,How to Remodel the Tumor Microenvironment, Reverse Immunosuppression, and Promote the Infiltration of More Activated T Lymphocytes into Tumors, becoming an important direction for treatment.
In this context,"Immunogenic Cell Death" (ICD)This concept has garnered widespread attention. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is not a common form of cell death, but rather a specific process capable of activating the body’s own anti-tumor immune response. When tumor cells undergo ICD, they release a series of molecules known asSignaling Molecules of “Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns” (DAMPs)andTumor Antigens. These signaling molecules act like alarms, functioning in a specific sequence:Early Stage, calreticulin and other substances are exposed on the cell surface, emitting an "eat me" signal;Mid-term, cells release adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a "find-me" signal;Late Stage, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and other proteins are released as potent "danger" signals.
This series of alarms can effectively recruit and activate dendritic cells, thereby initiating a specific T-cell immune response against tumor antigens, ultimately guiding these activated T cells to infiltrate the tumor and eliminate residual cancer cells.
To induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), researchers have explored various strategies, including certain chemotherapeutic agents, radiotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. However, temozolomide, the standard chemotherapy drug for glioma, is ineffective at inducing ICD on its own. Meanwhile, the tumor interior features a unique and harsh microenvironment characterized by acidity, high levels of hydrogen peroxide, and severe hypoxia. This hypoxic environment promotes tumor metastasis and reduces therapeutic efficacy. To overcome these challenges, scientists have turned their attention to“Nanozymes”。
Nanozymes are a class of nanomaterials with natural enzyme-like activity, which can convert hydrogen peroxide and oxygen into highly cytotoxicReactive Oxygen Species (ROS). This treatment strategy based on chemical reactions is known asChemodynamic Therapy (CDT)。
Furthermore, if the nanomaterials also possess photothermal conversion capabilities, the heat generated during photothermal therapy (PTT) can further enhance their enzymatic activity, leading to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and achieving a synergistic effect between chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and PTT. This locally induced intense oxidative stress not only directly kills tumor cells but is also expected to meet the conditions for inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD), thereby activating long-term anti-tumor immunity beyond direct cytotoxicity.
Compared with natural enzymes, nanozymes haveLow cost, high stability, multifunctionalsuch advantages. Currently, many high-performance nanozymes are fabricated using precious metals, resulting in high costs. Therefore, the use of lower-cost transition metals to construct bimetallic nanocomposites has emerged as an attractive solution. This constitutes the core rationale behind the present invention, which aims to provide a novel nanozyme composite material for suppressing postoperative recurrence of glioma.
Therefore, in the face ofHigh Postoperative Recurrence Rate of GlioblastomaandCurrent Therapies Struggle to Induce Effective Anti-Tumor Immunityof the dual dilemma, developing a novel therapeutic strategy that can directly eliminate residual tumor cells, simultaneously remodel the immunosuppressive microenvironment, and activate long-term immune surveillance has become an urgent clinical need.
The core advantages and advanced nature of this patented technology are reflected in itsFrom Material Design and Mechanism of Action to Clinical Translation Strategiesmulti-level innovation. This technology has successfully preparedA Porous Palladium-Copper Bimetallic Nanocluster Composite MaterialThis material is not a simple mixture of metals; rather, through a sophisticated synthesis process, copper atoms are uniformly incorporated into the palladium lattice, forming an alloy structure with abundant surface defects and nanoscale porosity.
This unique microstructure significantly increases the specific surface area of the material, exposing more catalytically active sites and laying the material foundation for subsequent high-efficiency catalysis and energy conversion.
The most prominent characteristic of this composite material is itsTunable Multiple "Enzyme-like" Activities. It can mimic the functions of natural peroxidase, oxidase, and catalase. In the tumor microenvironment characteristic of gliomas, which is mildly acidic and rich in hydrogen peroxide, these enzyme-like activities are synergistically activated. Specifically, its peroxidase- and oxidase-like activities efficiently convert the overexpressed hydrogen peroxide and oxygen in tumor tissues into reactive oxygen species with potent cytotoxicity, thereby implementing “chemodynamic therapy” against tumor cells.
Meanwhile, its catalase-like activity can decompose hydrogen peroxide into oxygen, effectively alleviating intratumoral hypoxia. This not only inhibits the malignant progression of tumors but also improves the tumor microenvironment, thereby enhancing the efficacy of other therapeutic modalities.
This technology creativelyCombining this catalytic therapy with precise photothermal therapy. This composite material can efficiently convert light energy into thermal energy under near-infrared laser irradiation, achieving localized heating.
This photothermal effect has dual benefits:
First, direct thermal ablation can physically destroy tumor cells;
Second, the generated heat can further accelerate and enhance the aforementioned enzyme-like catalytic reactions, promoting a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, thereby achieving deep synergy and mutual amplification between chemodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy. This “1+1>2” synergistic effect is key to achieving efficient tumor ablation.
Beyond traditional direct cytotoxic strategies, the advanced nature of this technology lies inSuccessfully activated the body's own anti-tumor immunity. The intense oxidative stress and localized thermal effects generated by synergistic therapy can induce a specific mode of tumor cell death—Immunogenic Cell DeathDuring this process of cell death, tumor cells expose and release a series of specific signaling molecules and tumor antigens, akin to sounding an “alarm.”
These “alarm signals” can be recognized by immune sentinels such as dendritic cells in the human body, thereby initiating and activating cytotoxic T lymphocytes to precisely track and eliminate residual and potentially metastatic tumor cells after surgery. This process establishes a durable “immune memory” effect, fundamentally suppressing tumor recurrence.
To bridge the gap from the laboratory to the operating table, this patent designs a highly clinically practical translation strategy. Researchers haveActive NanocompositesCommonly used in neurosurgical proceduresAbsorbable Hemostatic Gelatinintegrated to construct"Hemostatic Matrix Delivery System"This design enables the nanomaterials to be conveniently and securely applied to the surface of the tumor cavity after tumor resection, achieving in situ sustained drug release and long-lasting therapeutic effects.
This system not only retains the clinical safety and ease of use of conventional hemostatic materials but also endows them with potent anti-tumor functionality. Postoperatively, non-invasive near-infrared laser irradiation of the tumor cavity can remotely trigger synergistic therapy and immune activation internally, offering patients an innovative “two-birds-with-one-stone” therapeutic strategy that integrates intraoperative hemostasis, postoperative localized intensified treatment, and systemic immune activation. In vitro and in vivo experimental data have fully validated that this combined strategy significantly suppresses tumor recurrence and substantially prolongs survival in animal models, demonstrating substantial potential for clinical translation.
Building on the aforementioned innovations in materials science and breakthroughs in therapeutic concepts, while deeply cultivating the direction of enhanced local therapy and immune activation, global research institutions and biopharmaceutical companies are also actively exploring diversified treatment pipelines—including novel targeted drugs, cell therapies, and tumor vaccines—to address core challenges such as tumor drug resistance, distant metastasis, and the eradication of cancer stem cells.
In the international market,PolyPid Ltd.'s core product is OncoPLEX., this is an investigational product targeting postoperative recurrence of solid tumors. It is essentiallyPolyPid's Core PLEX Technology Platform in Oncology. Specifically, OncoPLEX is a biodegradable polymer-lipid matrix designed to be applied directly in the form of a paste or similar formulation to the surgical resection cavity (tumor bed) following tumor resection surgery.
The core mechanism of this product isAchieving Localized, Controllable, and Sustained Release of Chemotherapeutic AgentsTaking docetaxel, the most frequently loaded drug in current studies (a widely used chemotherapy agent), as an example, OncoPLEX can sustain the release of therapeutically effective drug concentrations at the tumor site for several weeks.
This local drug delivery approach aims to achieve two key objectives: first, to maintain a high drug concentration in the surgical area for an extended period, thereby maximizing the eradication of potentially residual tumor cells and directly reducing the risk of local recurrence; second, since the drug acts primarily locally, it can significantly reduce the toxic side effects associated with systemic exposure to chemotherapy agents. Preclinical data from animal models support the efficacy of this mechanism; for example, in a mouse model of partially resected glioblastoma, a single local application of OncoPLEX achieved up to98%of tumor growth inhibition. Currently, the OncoPLEX project is still in the preclinical research stage.
Shanghai Funing Technology Co., Ltd.core platform technology is“Injectable Medical Thermosensitive Hydrogel (Thermogel™)”. This is a block copolymer material composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and polyethylene glycol. Its most notable characteristic is“Thermally Induced Phase Transition”, specifically existing as a free-flowing sol state at room temperature to facilitate injection and drug loading; upon injection into the human body, it transitions within seconds to minutes into a semi-solid gel with a three-dimensional network structure under physiological temperature conditions, thereby achieving in situ retention and forming a localized drug depot. This physical gelation process involves no chemical reactions, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability.
In the application of preventing and treating postoperative tumor recurrence, FuNing Technology has developed this hydrogel platform into a long-acting local sustained-release carrier for anti-tumor drugs. Specifically, the research teamEncapsulation of the monoclonal antibody drug "Herceptin" for targeted therapy of HER2-positive breast cancer into this thermosensitive hydrogel. Its mechanism of action involves injecting or implanting drug-loaded hydrogels into the tumor resection cavity following surgical removal of the tumor. Upon forming a solid depot at body temperature, the hydrogel enables sustained and controlled release of the encapsulated Herceptin over an extended period, maintaining therapeutically effective local drug concentrations at the surgical site to continuously target potentially residual tumor cells, thereby suppressing local tumor recurrence.
Currently, the development of thermosensitive hydrogel products encapsulating Herceptin for the prevention of postoperative recurrence in HER2-positive breast cancer remains in the preclinical research stage.
Looking ahead, advancements in the field of postoperative tumor recurrence will increasingly rely on deep interdisciplinary integration and rigorous clinical validation. Progress in materials science, pharmaceutics, and immunology will further drive the intelligent evolution of carrier technologies, such as achieving responsive linkage between drug release and signals from the tumor microenvironment. However, the true value of these technologies must be confirmed through clinical trials to establish their safety, superiority, and generalizability. Furthermore, scientifically integrating these local treatment strategies with systemic therapies to form multi-level, sequential comprehensive treatment regimens is key to overcoming tumors with a high risk of recurrence.