Cancer cells often exhibit unusual sugar patterns on their surfaces, which play a central role in tumor development and progression. These sugar patterns, particularly sialic acids, prevent the formation of immune responses by natural killer (NK) cells and help tumors evade the immune system, allowing them to grow and spread.

This HALRIC Pilot project aims to engineer polyelectrolyte microcapsules for targeted enzyme delivery in cancer cells. The goal is to selectively remove sialic acids from tumor cells, thereby unmasking them to the immune system and enhancing NK cell-mediated killing.

The research team of this HALRIC pilot project consists of experts from Malmö, Lund, Århus, and Copenhagen. Together, they bring their expertise to engineer polyelectrolyte capsules, analyze their internal structure, study the interactions within the capsules, and test their release efficiency in different cancer cell lines, e.g. originating from breast and ovarian tumors.

Preliminary data on the internal structure of the capsules, including their pore size and polydispersity, will be obtained using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at Malmö University. This data will be further validated at the CoSAXS beamline at the MAX IV Laboratory. Time-resolved experiments, such as enzymatic release over periods ranging from minutes to hours, will also be conducted at the CoSAXS beamline.

The composition and structural characteristics of the capsules will be determined using low-frequency Raman (LFR) spectroscopy. Finally, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) will be employed to image the capsules, providing additional data to complement and cross-validate the SAXS findings.

For further information about this HALRIC pilot project, please contact:

Yulia Sergeeva, Malmö University
yulia.sergeeva@mau.se