Research results published in the internationally renowned journal 'ACS Nano (IF=17.1)' 

Demonstrated therapeutic potential in an animal model of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

[April 5, 2024]

<From the left, Professor KIM Jung-Hwan, Le Ngoc Duy (first author of ACS Nano), Nguyen Bao Loc (first author of Nano Today), and Professor KIM Jong-Oh>

A research team led by Professors KIM Jong-oh and KIM Jung-hwan at YU(President CHOI Oe-chool)'s College of Pharmacy has developed a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based nanomedicine that can effectively block angiogenesis in lung cancer.

The team developed a treatment that blocks vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumors. VEGF is a substance secreted by cells that stimulates the production of new blood vessels, and cancer cells require rapid blood vessel formation around them to grow rapidly. Blocking VEGF reduces blood vessel formation around cancer cells, which can stop cancer cells from proliferating. The research led to the development of mRNA nanomedicines by synthesizing VEGF-blocking antibodies into encoded mRNA and putting them into nanocarriers that can be delivered directly to lung endothelial cells using biocompatible polymers and lipids. Proteomics studies also revealed how the nanocarriers reach the lungs.  In fact, in a mouse model of non-small cell lung cancer, this method showed superior tumor proliferation inhibition and angiogenesis inhibition compared to existing protein-based antibody therapies.

Professor KIM Jong-oh said, "The results of this study support the therapeutic potential and clinical benefits of nanoparticle-mediated mRNA therapies in anti-cancer antibody therapy, and we expect that the research on nanoparticle-based mRNA anticancer therapeutics will be utilized in various mRNA anticancer vaccines and therapeutics in the future." 

 Meanwhile, the research was supported by the Basic Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (mid-career researchers and leading research center support project). The results were published in ACS Nano (Impact factor 17.1, Paper title: Antiangiogenic Therapeutic mRNA Delivery Using Lung-Selective Polymeric Nanomedicine for Lung Cancer Treatment, ACS Nano, 18, 8392-8410), an internationally recognized journal published by the American Chemical Society. 

 In addition, the team recently published a study in the internationally renowned journal Nano Today (Impact factor 17.4, Paper title: Reigniting the cancer-immunity cycle with nanoparticles for simultaneous delivery of oncolytic peptides and a TLR agonist, Nano Today, 55, 102179, 2024) showing that nanoparticles that can simultaneously deliver an oncolytic peptide and a Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist to cancer cells can trigger synergistic effects in anticancer therapy and improve survival rates.