Spider silk vaccine may check cancer

New Delhi, June 14, 2018: Scientists have developed microcapsules made of spider silk that can deliver cancer vaccines directly to the heart of immune cells.

To fight cancer, researchers increasingly use vaccines that stimulate the body’s immune system to identify and destroy tumour cells according to thehindu.com.

In order to strengthen the efficacy of vaccines on the immune system and in particular on T lymphocytes, specialised in the detection of cancer cells researchers, including those from University of Freiburg (UNIFR) and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich in Germany have developed spider silk microcapsules capable of delivering the vaccine directly to the heart of immune cells.

The process could also be applied to preventive vaccines to protect against infectious diseases.