Cancer cells are experts at hiding from the immune system. They use a sneaky trick: a thin but powerful shield called the glycocalyx. Think of it like armor made of sugar-coated proteins that keeps immune cells from attacking.
But now, scientists have found a way to peek behind the shield — and maybe even break through it.
What Exactly Is the Glycocalyx?
The glycocalyx is a protective coating on the surface of cancer cells, made mostly from proteins called mucins. These mucins create a barrier that immune cells have a hard time crossing, which makes it easier for cancer to grow unnoticed in the body.
That’s been a major problem for cell-based cancer immunotherapies — treatments where doctors take a patient’s immune cells, train them to target cancer, and put them back in the body. These therapies are promising, but their success has been limited, partly because of the glycocalyx barrier.
Cracking the Code of the Barrier
Researchers at Cornell University, led by Dr. Matthew Paszek’s lab, used a technique called scanning angle interference microscopy (SAIM). It sounds complicated, but it basically lets them measure the thickness of the glycocalyx at an incredibly small scale — down to just a few nanometers.
They discovered that even a tiny change — just 10 nanometers — in the barrier’s thickness could change how effective immune cells are at attacking the cancer.
That’s a big deal.
Engineering Stronger Immune Cells
Knowing that a thicker glycocalyx makes it harder for immune cells to fight cancer, the researchers created a lab model to copy how the barrier works. Then they engineered immune cells with special enzymes on their surface. These enzymes help the immune cells stick to and break through the glycocalyx.
The result? These enhanced immune cells were much better at getting through the barrier and attacking the cancer.
Why This Matters
This breakthrough could lead to major improvements in how we treat cancer. If scientists can design immune cells that slip past cancer’s defenses, we may be able to make cell-based therapies far more effective. That could mean more successful treatments — and better outcomes — for patients.
As the researchers put it, understanding and targeting the glycocalyx opens up a new path to make today’s cancer immunotherapies stronger and smarter.
Source:
https://interestingengineering.com/culture/researchers-identify-molecul…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/983090
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