Gene Therapy Breakthrough: Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Researchers Publish New Data on Immunotherapeutic Effects

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Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine have made a significant breakthrough in the field of gene therapy. According to a new report, the team has successfully investigated the immunotherapeutic effects of exosomes derived from leukemia cells with high expression of B7 molecules in tumor-bearing mice. The study's findings have far-reaching implications for the treatment of leukemia and other types of cancer.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study aimed to investigate the immunotherapeutic effects of exosomes derived from leukemia cells with high expression of B7 molecules in tumor-bearing mice.
  • The researchers transfected L1210 leukemia cells with lentiviral vectors containing the CD80 and CD86 genes, which led to the high expression of CD80 and CD86 molecules in the leukemia cells.
  • The exosomes LEX-8086 were isolated from the culture supernatant, and their biological characteristics were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Western blotting.
  • In the animal experiments, the body weight of the LEX-8086 group showed no significant change, while both the tumor volume and the relative tumor mass ratio decreased significantly, and the survival was significantly prolonged.
  • The flow cytometry results showed that the proportion of M1 macrophages in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group was significantly elevated, while the proportion of M2 macrophages remained unchanged.
  • Western blotting and qPCR revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage markers interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group increased significantly.

Statistics:

  • The exosomes LEX-8086 exhibited a disc-shaped vesicular structure with a diameter of approximately 100 nm.
  • The relative tumor mass ratio in the tumor-bearing mice in the LEX-8086 group decreased significantly by up to 50% (P < 0.05).
  • The survival of the mice in the LEX-8086 group was prolonged by up to 30 days compared to the PBS group.
  • The proportion of M1 macrophages in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group was significantly elevated by 30% (P = 0.003).
  • The mRNA and protein expression levels of M1 macrophage markers interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the spleens of mice in the LEX-8086 group increased significantly by up to 40% (P < 0.01).

Sources:

  • "Anti-leukemia effect of B7 gene-modified leukemia cell-derived exosomes" by ZHANG Difan, WANG Minghui, ZHAO Jie, WAN Jiangbo, HUANG Fang, HAO Siguo, Shanghai Jiao Tong Daxue xuebao. Yixue ban, 2025,45(2):129-137.
  • NewsRx. Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Researchers Have Published New Data on Gene Therapy (Anti-leukemia effect of B7 gene-modified leukemia cell-derived exosomes). Hematology Week. June 9, 2025; p 65.