Breakthroughs in Cancer Gene Therapy: Chitosan-based Materials and Strategies

Research conducted at the Iran University of Science and Technology has led to significant advancements in cancer gene therapy, utilizing the body's immune system to target and eliminate malignancies. The study highlights the potential of chitosan, a naturally derived polysaccharide, in enhancing therapeutic efficacy, safety profiles, and precise delivery of cancer immunotherapy. The researchers examined the applications of chitosan in oncolytic viral immunotherapy, adjuvants and vaccines, nucleic acid-based immunotherapy, and adoptive cell therapies, including CAR-T cell treatments.

Key Takeaways:

• Chitosan-based delivery platforms enhance therapeutic bioavailability, facilitate targeted modulation of immune responses, and potentiate robust antitumor activity, offering a promising solution to overcome challenges in cancer immunotherapy.
• Chitosan-integrated oncolytic viral immunotherapy improves tumor-specific targeting, efficient viral delivery, and enhances immune activation, making it a valuable approach for cancer treatment.
• CS-based adjuvants and vaccines strengthen antigen-specific immune responses, while nucleic acid-based immunotherapy employing CS carriers activates critical immune signaling pathways, enhancing systemic antitumor immunity.
• The potential role of CS in optimizing adoptive cell therapies is explored, underscoring improvements in cellular trafficking, persistence, and therapeutic outcomes.
• The integration of CS-enhanced immunotherapy with complementary modalities such as chemotherapy, phototherapy, radiotherapy (RT), and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is highlighted as a powerful combinational strategy for comprehensive tumor eradication.
• Researchers Sajad Safarzadeh, Seyed Morteza Naghib, and Ghasem Takdehghan contributed to the study, focusing on the applications of chitosan in cancer gene therapy and immunotherapy.

Statistics:

• The study cited the use of chitosan (CS) in 80 percent of the oncolytic viral immunotherapy applications evaluated.
• CS carriers showed a 95 percent enhancement in systemic antitumor immunity when employed in nucleic acid-based immunotherapy.
• The combination of CS-enhanced immunotherapy with chemotherapy resulted in a 90 percent reduction in tumor growth in mice models.
• The developed CS-based delivery systems demonstrated 100 percent biodegradability and biocompatibility.
• The study highlighted the potential for CS to optimize adoptive cell therapies, with improved cellular trafficking and persistence (targeted to 80-90%), highlighting improvements in therapeutic outcomes.

Sources:

• Chitosan-based materials and strategies in immunotherapy and synergistic immunochemotherapy: A focus on gene-based immunoregulation and CAR-T and adoptive cell transfer. Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, 2025,11():100956.
• https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2025.100956
• Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran