Cancer recurrence and metastasis are the leading causes of death in cancer patients; this is why researchers at UCLA developed something that could help in stopping recurrence or metastasis in skin cancer patients.
The research that was published this month in the journal Nature Nanotechnology is about the development of a spray made of calcium carbonate that boosts the body’s immunity to help fight skin cancer after surgical removal of the tumor to prevent recurrence.
The calcium carbonate nanoparticles were pre-loaded with an anti-CD47 antibody, CD47 is a protein found on many cells that protect these cells from being eaten by macrophages “type of immune cells.”
Cancer cells have many CD47 on their surface which protects them from the body’s immunity, therefore using an anti-CD47 antibody blocks the “do not eat me” signal present on cancer cells allowing their phagocytosis by macrophages.
Sources: UPI