Silica nanomatrix improves immunotherapy for solid tumors

Silica nanomatrix improves immunotherapy for solid tumors

Cancer has long been a leading cause of death worldwide and in Hong Kong, accounting for 30% of all disease-related deaths in the city in 2025. While chemotherapy remains an important treatment modality, its side effects and risk of relapse pose challenges for patients. In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged through the integration of immunology, cell therapy and genetic engineering. However, it shows limited effectiveness against solid tumors, carries the risk of excessive immune reactions and can cost several million Hong Kong dollars per treatment.

DC therapy separates monocytes from a patient's blood, cultures them along with tumor antigens in vitro to create mature dendritic cells, and reintroduces them into the body to stimulate the immune system's attack on cancer cells. Although DC therapy has milder side effects, its clinical results remain variable and the manufacturing process is laborious and expensive. To address these bottlenecks, the team led by Professor Yung Kin-lam, Chair of Biology and Neuroscience in the Department of Science and Environmental Studies and Associate Vice President (Knowledge Transfer and Sustainability) at EdUHK, developed a natural, non-toxic and highly biocompatible silica nanomatrix. This material safely and efficiently promotes DC maturation, significantly improves T cell recognition and killing of cancer cells, and helps overcome tumor “stealth” to improve targeting precision. Animal studies also show that the new technology can effectively inhibit tumor growth, extend immune memory and strengthen the durability of the anti-tumor response.

The study is led by EdUHK in collaboration with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and Jinan University. The entire DC culture process occurs ex vivo without relying on the patient's own immune status, ensuring more consistent therapeutic results. This approach is particularly suitable for patients with weakened immune systems after chemotherapy. The platform was developed with standardization and high-volume manufacturing in mind, which will help reduce production costs and accelerate clinical translation.

Professor Yung noted that the new material has the potential to go beyond cancer treatment. He explained: “In the silica nanomatrix, dendritic cells adopt a characteristic Z-shaped morphology that increases their surface contact area, enabling more effective transmission of biophysical signals and distinguishing them from conventionally cultured DCs. By leveraging biophysical cues rather than risky manipulations, our work provides a safer and more scalable route for DC vaccines. In the future, we will explore the potential of these novel dendritic cells in systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis, with the aim of opening new avenues for immunomodulatory therapies.”

The research team plans to collaborate with hospitals and laboratories in Hong Kong and mainland China to further accelerate cell culture protocols, evaluate therapeutic efficacy and advance clinical research.

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