Despite many advancements in cancer treatment, more than 10 million people die each year from cancer worldwide. The most advanced cancer immunotherapy benefits only 10-15% of the treated patients with solid tumors and metastasis. This low response rate is due to suppressed tumor cell-killing immune cells. This suppression is caused by tumour-associated macrophages (TAM), key cells in the tumor microenvironment, leading to treatment failures. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop approaches to re-activate the suppressed immune cells to kill tumors effectively. We have recently developed an innovative approach based on nanoliposomes to target and reprogram TAM, so they reactivate the tumor cell-killing immune cells. We have successfully proven that our nanoliposomes can reduce the tumor growth and metastasis and works synergistically with current immunotherapy. With the BB program, we will validate our technology for the technical feasibility to scale up to large batch, commercialisation (cost-benefit analysis) and develop clinical studies strategy. This technology can potentially be used as an add-on therapy to standard care-of-treatment, leading to improved patient outcome and increased quality of life years.
