{"id":121,"date":"2018-02-02T12:40:53","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T12:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=121"},"modified":"2022-03-25T13:47:25","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T13:47:25","slug":"fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

Stimulating or enhancing someone\u2019s own\u00a0<\/strong>immune system to fight cancer<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is not a new concept but scientists are taking it one step further by using nanoscience and computer simulations to improve existing treatments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Immunotherapy drugs are specifically designed to help the immune system respond to cancerous cells, something that it doesn\u2019t naturally do. That\u2019s because cancer cells are essentially the body\u2019s own cells gone rogue and the immune system is programmed not to target native cells.<\/p>\n

Now, a new computer simulation that mimics the body\u2019s response when exposed to certain immunotherapy drugs could speed up their development by eliminating any dud ideas at an earlier stage.<\/p>\n

Scientists on the EU-funded MODICELL project have developed prototype software that can trial potential recipes for drugs by using a kind of graphic interface called reactive animation to demonstrate the body\u2019s expected response.<\/p>\n

With the information gained from the simulation, the scientists can decide whether to pursue developing a potential drug or to go back to the drawing board, without wasting valuable time and resources.<\/p>\n

\u2018We wanted to develop a computerised approach that will allow us to simulate and to make predictions regarding immune responses that could be used to improve therapies against cancer or in-organ transplantations,\u2019 said Dr Nuno Andrade of St. Anna Children\u2019s Cancer Research Institute, Austria, who managed the project.<\/p>\n

To improve the accuracy of the simulations, the researchers first of all conducted real-life experiments in the laboratory and collected extensive biological information from published literature.<\/p>\n

Computer scientists worked in the lab together with biologists to better understand the behaviour of the immune system, and used the knowledge gained to develop the computer simulation.<\/p>\n

Dr Andrade says this type of collaboration is likely to continue. \u2018Biology is such a complex science. There is no way that we can keep doing science without computerised approaches.\u2019<\/p>\n

Vaccines<\/strong><\/p>\n

One drug-based approach to immunotherapy that is currently used to treat cancer is vaccine therapy. Today this involves taking a blood sample from a patient and mixing it with molecules found on the tumour called antigens. A substance known as an adjuvant is then added to help the immune cells in the blood sample respond to these antigens, and these activated immune cells are injected back into the patient\u2019s body.<\/p>\n

However, because this takes place in a lab, the process is cumbersome and time-consuming. The EU-funded PRECIOUS project is developing a novel nano-sized vaccine containing nanoparticles packed with both antigens and an adjuvant, which can be injected into the patient to stimulate the immune response inside the body.<\/p>\n

Professor Carl Figdor of Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands, who leads the project, said that this couldn\u2019t happen without nanoparticles. \u2018These particles are so small that you can inject them directly into the bloodstream without harming the patient. If you were to use bigger particles or bigger molecules then you would have all kinds of difficulties, perhaps small blood vessels would clog.\u2019<\/p>\n

Advantages include reduced wait times for the patient and a stable vaccine that is not so heavily affected by the individual health concerns of each patient.<\/p>\n

\u2018Here we are going to have a product that is much more stable and of a constant quality, and is cheaper in the end because it can be used in a much wider way for a lot of patients,\u2019 said Prof. Figdor.<\/p>\n

Large scale<\/strong><\/p>\n

The idea is to find an efficient process for creating these nanoparticles en masse so that nanovaccines can be manufactured on a large scale. The PRECIOUS team will test their nanoparticles for safety in humans and if successful will move up to trials involving 500 people.<\/p>\n

\u2018There is a lot of gain because you make one product that you can use for a lot of patients, rather than having to take blood from each patient, making an individual vaccine, which is labour intensive and expensive,\u2019 said Prof. Figdor.<\/p>\n

Nano-sized particles are also being used to improve a kind of cancer therapy called photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT involves a photoactive drug, called a photosensitiser, which, when introduced into the body, acts like a ticking bomb \u2013 it is safe until it is activated by contact with a particular wavelength of light and then it reacts with oxygen to form a chemical\u00a0that kills the\u00a0cells.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not fully understood how or why, but PDT is also thought to activate the immune system to attack the cancer.<\/p>\n

Expel<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the problem with the photosensitisers currently in use is that they stick to all the body\u2019s cells, not only cancer cells. Healthy cells will expel the drug after two to four days, whereas cancer cells find the photosensitisers much more difficult to remove. Patients returning after two to four days are exposed to the type of light which activates the photoactive drug, killing the cancer cells.<\/p>\n

Now, scientists on the KILLCANCER project, funded by the EU’s European Research Council, plan to reduce this waiting period to just a couple of hours by developing an approach where small nanobodies \u2013 fragments of antibodies \u2013 are bound chemically to the photosensitiser. These actively target cancerous cells, but not healthy cells.<\/p>\n

\u2018We expect that we can more efficiently reach cancer cells compared to traditional antibodies,\u2019 said Dr Sabrina Oliveira of Utrecht University, the Netherlands, who leads the work. The project is also investigating how PDT interacts with the immune system response.<\/p>\n

The next goal for the research is to progress from mouse studies to larger animals like cats and dogs. In the near future, Dr Oliveira will start working with veterinary centres to offer PDT as a therapy for cats with oral cancer, and can then use the resulting data to produce a body of evidence supporting nanobody-targeted PDT.<\/p>\n

The issue<\/h3>\n

Improving immunotherapy treatments isn\u2019t just about developing better drugs, it\u2019s also about manufacturing those treatments on a large scale so they can be used in the wider population.<\/em><\/p>\n

To support this, the EU has allocated more than \u20ac1.5 billion to research into industrial leadership in the areas of nanotechnologies, advanced materials, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing and processing between 2018 and 2020.<\/em><\/p>\n

The work includes addressing the regulatory framework and developing an environment that enables high-quality healthcare for Europeans. Nanomedicines that are developed in the EU for use in tumour-targeted treatment strategies are produced at an industrial level that respects the highest possible quality standards.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2013, the European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine (ETPN) set up\u00a0Nano World Cancer Day<\/a>, which this year takes place on 2 February and is supported by the EU-funded\u00a0ENATRANS\u00a0<\/a>project. There will be simultaneous events in 10 countries to demonstrate the disruptive nanomedicine-based innovations that are being developed to beat cancer.<\/em><\/p>\n

Originally published on Horizon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stimulating or enhancing someone\u2019s own\u00a0immune system to fight cancer\u00a0is not a new concept but scientists are taking it one step further by using nanoscience and computer simulations to improve existing treatments. Immunotherapy drugs are specifically designed to help the immune system respond to cancerous cells, something that it doesn\u2019t naturally do. That\u2019s because cancer cells … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":325,"featured_media":122,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[94,96,95,97,79],"class_list":["post-121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-cancer","tag-immunotherapy","tag-medicine","tag-nanoscience","tag-research"],"yoast_head":"\nFighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Stimulating or enhancing someone\u2019s own\u00a0immune system to fight cancer\u00a0is not a new concept but scientists are taking it one step further by using nanoscience and computer simulations to improve existing treatments. Immunotherapy drugs are specifically designed to help the immune system respond to cancerous cells, something that it doesn\u2019t naturally do. That\u2019s because cancer cells ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-02-02T12:40:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-25T13:47:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"563\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Catherine Collins\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Catherine Collins\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Catherine Collins\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/be1258955a63bdcc93c97b66ded944ab\"},\"headline\":\"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-02T12:40:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-25T13:47:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1121,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"cancer\",\"immunotherapy\",\"medicine\",\"nanoscience\",\"research\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2018\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/\",\"name\":\"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-02T12:40:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-25T13:47:25+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":563,\"caption\":\"Researchers in the Netherlands are hoping to move vaccine therapy from the lab to inside the body. Image credit: Unsplash\\\/Drew Hays\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/121\\\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/be1258955a63bdcc93c97b66ded944ab\",\"name\":\"Catherine Collins\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f41ed1fb10eb457a98c1a858bce2e359f4d48554139b4a4685e7cfcca2b0c6bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f41ed1fb10eb457a98c1a858bce2e359f4d48554139b4a4685e7cfcca2b0c6bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f41ed1fb10eb457a98c1a858bce2e359f4d48554139b4a4685e7cfcca2b0c6bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Catherine Collins\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/catherinecollins\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations","og_description":"Stimulating or enhancing someone\u2019s own\u00a0immune system to fight cancer\u00a0is not a new concept but scientists are taking it one step further by using nanoscience and computer simulations to improve existing treatments. Immunotherapy drugs are specifically designed to help the immune system respond to cancerous cells, something that it doesn\u2019t naturally do. That\u2019s because cancer cells ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_published_time":"2018-02-02T12:40:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-03-25T13:47:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":563,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Catherine Collins","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Catherine Collins","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/"},"author":{"name":"Catherine Collins","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/be1258955a63bdcc93c97b66ded944ab"},"headline":"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations","datePublished":"2018-02-02T12:40:53+00:00","dateModified":"2022-03-25T13:47:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/"},"wordCount":1121,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg","keywords":["cancer","immunotherapy","medicine","nanoscience","research"],"articleSection":["Health"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2018","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/","name":"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg","datePublished":"2018-02-02T12:40:53+00:00","dateModified":"2022-03-25T13:47:25+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg","width":1000,"height":563,"caption":"Researchers in the Netherlands are hoping to move vaccine therapy from the lab to inside the body. Image credit: Unsplash\/Drew Hays"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/121\/fighting-cancer-with-nanobodies-and-computer-simulations\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Fighting cancer with nanobodies and computer simulations"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/be1258955a63bdcc93c97b66ded944ab","name":"Catherine Collins","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f41ed1fb10eb457a98c1a858bce2e359f4d48554139b4a4685e7cfcca2b0c6bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f41ed1fb10eb457a98c1a858bce2e359f4d48554139b4a4685e7cfcca2b0c6bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f41ed1fb10eb457a98c1a858bce2e359f4d48554139b4a4685e7cfcca2b0c6bf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Catherine Collins"},"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/catherinecollins\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/02\/petri-dish-2000-e1648216038606.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-1X","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2471,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2471\/colorectal-cancer-patients-may-benefit-from-breakthrough-eu-research\/","url_meta":{"origin":121,"position":0},"title":"Colorectal cancer patients may benefit from breakthrough EU research","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"August 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists in Spain have developed a potentially life-saving strategy against a disease that spreads from the gut to other vital organs. By\u00a0\u00a0ANTHONY KING Cancer of the colon and rectum is a pernicious killer. A colorectal tumour, for example, can be removed completely from a patient but then pop up elsewhere\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/24.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/24.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/24.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/24.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1449,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1449\/qa-cancer-vaccines-will-not-replace-surgery-or-chemo-but-could-give-long-lasting-immunity\/","url_meta":{"origin":121,"position":1},"title":"Q&A: \u2018Cancer vaccines will not replace surgery or chemo but could give long-lasting immunity\u2019","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"September 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by\u00a0Ian Le Guillou A cancer vaccine needs to tackle the dual issues of cancers being able to hide from the immune system and suppress our immune defences. Recent advances are bringing cancer vaccines much closer to reality, giving patients another weapon in their arsenal of cancer treatments, according to Dr\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A cancer vaccine needs to tackle the dual issues of cancers being able to hide from the immune system and suppress our immune defences. Image credit - Municipalidad de C\u00f3rdoba\/Flickr, licenced under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/Women-vaccine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/Women-vaccine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/Women-vaccine.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/09\/Women-vaccine.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":325,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/325\/discovery-of-hybrid-cancer-cells-reveals-how-disease-spreads\/","url_meta":{"origin":121,"position":2},"title":"Discovery of hybrid cancer cells reveals how disease spreads","author":"Aisling Irwin","date":"June 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists studying skin and breast cancer in genetically modified mice have spotted hybrid cancer cells that combine the properties of different cell types, a discovery that could help understand how cancer spreads in the body and provide a new target for treatment. It is the latest insight in a fast-moving\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Studies show that hybrid cancer cells (in yellow) combine properties of different cells which can make them more invasive.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/hybrid_cancer_cells_crp.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/hybrid_cancer_cells_crp.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/hybrid_cancer_cells_crp.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/hybrid_cancer_cells_crp.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/hybrid_cancer_cells_crp.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/hybrid_cancer_cells_crp.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2234,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2234\/breast-cancer-an-aggressive-variant-triggers-a-hunt-for-cures\/","url_meta":{"origin":121,"position":3},"title":"Breast cancer: an aggressive variant triggers a hunt for cures","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Triple negative breast cancer is a hard-to-treat form that accounts for 15% of all cases, with recovery hopes emerging from chemotherapy drugs that stimulate the immune system and others that cause tumour cells to implode. By\u00a0\u00a0VITTORIA D\u2019ALESSIO Breast cancer is the most common type in women and, in Europe alone,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/9angiola-harry--scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/9angiola-harry--scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/9angiola-harry--scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/9angiola-harry--scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/9angiola-harry--scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/12\/9angiola-harry--scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1690,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1690\/qa-biontech-vaccine-is-only-mrna-1-0-this-is-just-the-beginning-say-co-founders\/","url_meta":{"origin":121,"position":4},"title":"Q&A: BioNTech vaccine is only \u2018mRNA 1.0\u2019. This is just the beginning, say co-founders","author":"Joanna Roberts","date":"April 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The successful development of\u00a0mRNA vaccines\u00a0for Covid-19 is \u2018transformational\u2019 and opens the doors to new types of vaccines for other infectious diseases as well as cancer, according to Dr \u00d6zlem T\u00fcreci and Dr U\u011fur \u015eahin, the co-founders of Germany\u2019s BioNTech. The main question, they say, is which vaccine to prioritise first.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Montage1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Montage1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Montage1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Montage1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2611,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2611\/fighting-brain-tumours-with-the-help-of-viruses-and-molecules\/","url_meta":{"origin":121,"position":5},"title":"Fighting brain tumours with the help of viruses and molecules","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By harnessing unusual allies, pioneering cancer treatments could reduce the need for invasive surgery and save lives. By \u00a0Tereza Pultarova Dr Marta Alonso, a Spanish biomedical researcher, developed an interest in paediatric brain tumours during a traineeship in the US state of Texas. Alonso had a chance encounter in 2007\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/18.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/18.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/18.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/18.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/18.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/18.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/325"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}