JERUSALEM, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have harnessed computer chip manufacturing technology to enhance a cutting-edge cancer treatment, Ben-Gurion University said Thursday in a statement.
The study, published in Advanced Materials, improves CAR T-cell therapy -- a method that extracts a patient's immune cells, modifies them to target cancer, and reinjects them.
To solve the problem that current CAR T cells often lose effectiveness quickly under traditional lab methods, the researchers mimicked the body's natural cell environment using nano-engineered surfaces, producing "supercharged" cells with enhanced cancer-fighting memory.
Lab and animal tests confirmed the engineered cells outperform conventional ones.
While chip technology is often costly, the researchers have developed more affordable methods to produce these surfaces at scale and are working toward real-world applications for cancer patients. ■