Cellular Mechanism Utilizing Phagocytosis for Elimination of Harmful Cell Types

In a groundbreaking development, scientists at Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) have unveiled a new protein-based therapeutic tool called Crunch. This innovative technology reprograms the body's natural waste disposal system to selectively eliminate harmful living cells.

Crunch operates by swapping out the domain of Protein S that detects dying cells and replacing it with modular "sensors" that bind surface proteins unique to unwanted cells. This strategy could open the door to a new generation of treatments, as Crunch is designed to recognize specific living cells to be removed, such as cancer cells or overactive immune cells in autoimmune diseases.

The study on Crunch, titled "Phagocytic clearance of targeted cells with a synthetic ligand," has been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. The immune system's cleanup crew, phagocytes, remove damaged or unnecessary cells daily. Crunch works by labelling these unwanted cells for cell death, harnessing the power of the immune system to clear them, using a familiar process.

When Crunch latches on to the targeted cells, it links them to phagocytes, which then engulf and break them down. Until now, phagocytosis has never been used to deliberately target living, disease-causing cells. This approach uses a familiar process of the immune system to clear harmful cells.

Crunch was initially used in mice to eliminate cancer cells expressing a specific cell surface protein. It was also successful in eliminating certain immune cells in a lupus model, reducing signs of disease. The team is refining Crunch to improve safety, production efficiency, and clinical applicability.

One of the key advantages of Crunch is its adaptability. It can adopt the targeting sensors from antibodies and CAR T, making it applicable to many conditions. Crunch differs from existing therapies like CAR T or antibody drugs as it does not require patient-specific cell engineering. This could potentially mean that Crunch could be delivered through an injection and customized for different diseases in the future.

The development of Crunch involves research teams led by experts at institutions such as the Max Planck Institute and other collaborating universities. While specific names are not typically highlighted in public summaries, the collective effort of these scientific minds promises a significant leap forward in personalised medicine.

This strategy could help the body clean house by removing harmful cells precisely, naturally, and on demand. If successful, it could mark a significant milestone in the fight against a wide range of diseases.