Completed Cancer Cells, Biochemistry & Physiology

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as Therapeutic Vectors for Metastatic Cancer.

Funder Wellcome Charity-funded
Recipient organisation University College London
Funding £1.7M
Period Oct 2010 — Sept 2015

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Engineered stem cells home in on lung tumours and deliver a lethal protein that kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Metastatic lung cancer—where tumours spread from other parts of the body—is notoriously difficult to treat. Current therapies often fail because they cannot target only the cancer cells. This research addresses that gap by turning mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) into guided missiles: the cells naturally migrate to tumours, and when they arrive, they release TRAIL, a protein that triggers cancer cell death. The researcher also plans to use magnetic resonance imaging to track where the cells go inside the body, solving a key problem for future human trials. If successful, this work could lead to a therapy that eliminates lung metastases with fewer side effects than chemotherapy. It would also provide a blueprint for using engineered cells to deliver treatments to other hard-to-reach tumours. The imaging component means doctors could one day watch the therapy work in real time, adjusting doses or timing as needed.

View original technical description
I have shown that activation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) engineered to deliver TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) eliminates lung metastases when delivered systemically. During the following programme of work, I will improve my understanding of the basic mechanisms of MSC homing to tumours, in vivo tumour cell killing and confirm the most effective form of delivery. I will also delineate an imaging strategy for future translational studies in man. This proposal encompasses thr ee aims with the following specific goals. 1) The first aim will determine the efficacy of different forms of TRAIL expressed on syngeneic and allogeneic MSCs, and shed light on the role of the immune system in tumour cell killing in xenograft and endogenous cancer models closely resembling human disease. 2) The second aim will inform on the mechanism of MSC homing to tumours. The goal is to exploit this knowledge to engineer MSCs to home to tumours in an effective and specific manner. 3) The final aim will define the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging for the detection and quantification of MSC tumour infiltration for future translational studies of this therapy in humans.

View the original record at the funder ↗

Researchers

Sam Janes (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Exploring a novel cell therapy for lung cancer
Generation of Multi-Modal Imaging Mesenchymal Stem Cells
TACTICAL - Targeted Stromal Cells Expressing TRAIL as a therapy for lung cancer
Targeted stromal cells expressing TRAIL as a therapy for lung cancer
MSCTRAIL for lung cancer

Original classification

Senior Research Fellowship Clinical

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.