Light-Activated Immunotherapy Combined with Engineered Protein Technology Targets Hard-To-Treat Cancer

In 2024, it was estimated that 26,890 individuals in the U.S. would be diagnosed with stomach cancer, and 10,880 would succumb to the disease. For many, stomach cancer is diagnosed too late, by which time it has already metastasized throughout the abdomen. Recent advances in chemotherapy and immunotherapy have allowed patients with advanced stomach cancer to live for an average of 10 to 17 months following diagnosis. Now, researchers are working on an innovative light-activated immunotherapy technique that could eventually treat patients with stomach cancer that has spread throughout the abdomen.

The approach, developed by bioengineers at University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, TX, USA), in collaboration with researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX, USA), leverages specially designed molecules and far-red or near-infrared light to “prime” the immune system, encouraging it to target stubborn cancer cells. These novel engineered proteins, when injected into the patient’s abdomen, are designed to bind to cancer cells. Once this binding occurs, a small fiber-optic light is used to apply near-infrared light, activating the engineered proteins to block cancer cell growth and activate immune cells that destroy the cancer cells. When the proteins are activated by light, they capture oxygen and convert it into reactive molecules capable of killing the cancer cells while simultaneously stimulating the immune system.

The lab-engineered molecules, known as betabodies, specifically target tumor cells, leaving healthy tissues unharmed to minimize side effects. By combining the light-activated method with engineered protein technology, this approach utilizes both techniques to effectively eliminate tumors. While the researchers believe this method could work for a range of tumor types, it has not yet been fully tested in humans. The researchers are optimistic that this enhanced therapy could significantly improve patient outcomes.

“There is a dire need for treatments to help people with advanced stomach cancer live longer,” said Dr. Girgis Obaid, assistant professor of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “If successful, our approach ultimately can help patients with stomach cancer live longer after the cancer has spread.”