Researchers at the University of Queensland are developing nanotechnology that will improve treatment for the most aggressive form of breast cancer. Professor Chengzhong (Michael) Yu and his colleagues are developing new nanoparticles to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC).

TNBC is a type of breast cancer with rapid growth and aggressive disease course, accounting for 30% of breast cancer deaths each year in Australia, although only 10 to 15% of breast cancer diagnoses. Professor Yu from UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) said there is an urgent need for new therapies, because TNBC tumors contain no protein targets or delivery mechanisms for existing therapies to target. He received a $3 million Investigator grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and is pursuing a specific nanoparticle to increase the immune response in TNBC patients.

This ‘nano-adjuvant’ would operate on a sub-microscopic level to strengthen the activity of T-cells—white blood cells that play a crucial role in the immune system’s ability to fight disease. Professor Yu described the process as systematic engineering, focusing on optimizing the immune response to improve treatment outcomes.

Professor Yu said "The particles we are designing will essentially work inside the tumour microenvironment, including TNBC cancer cells and important immune cells, to boost body's immune response to attack and defeat TNBC cells".