SZ scientists develop new cancer therapy

Shenzhen scientists have unveiled a new way to help the immune system find and destroy cancer cells by essentially forcing tumors to “show their faces.”

Researchers from Shenzhen Bay Laboratory and Peking University reported the work in Nature last week.

Their approach turns the tumor itself into a kind of vaccine: it strips away the molecules cancer cells use to hide and plants recognizable “flags” on their surface. That combination both removes the tumor’s defenses and makes it obvious to the immune system.

Normally, T cells — the body’s soldier cells — can be kept from attacking tumors by biological “brakes.” Existing drugs try to release those brakes, but many cancers remain too well hidden. In China, more than 60% of people with non‑small cell lung cancer and fewer than 30% with melanoma fail to respond to current immune therapies.

The new method builds on a platform called GlueTAC and uses a designed molecule that carries out two jobs at once: it removes the tumor’s protective shield and adds viral‑like markers that the immune system recognizes instantly.

That tricks dormant T cells into treating cancer cells as if they were virus‑infected, prompting a strong attack.

The team validated the idea in animal studies and in tiny lab-grown samples taken from patients.

Lead researcher Zhang Heng says the approach could apply to colorectal, stomach, and liver cancers.

The group is now preparing for human drug development and estimates clinical trials could begin in three to five years — a timeline that depends on funding and further testing. Zhang emphasized the team’s open, collaborative stance and their hope that the strategy can speed new options to patients.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. About one in five people develop cancer in their lifetime, approximately one in nine men and one in 12 women die from the disease, according to the WHO. The number of deaths caused by cancer worldwide is expected to reach over 15 million by 2040.