Nanoparticle-mediated intratumoral gene editing of PD-L1 and galectin-9

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized oncological therapy, but many patients do not respond or only respond inadequately to this form of treatment. Resistance mechanisms such as the overexpression of PD-L1 or immunosuppressive molecules such as galectin-9 limit their effectiveness. A novel approach aims at targeted intratumoral gene editing using nanoparticles that introduce CRISPR-Cas components directly into tumor cells and switch off regulatory genes there. A recent study provides preclinical evidence that the combined silencing of PD-L1 and galectin-9 significantly inhibits tumor growth and improves the efficacy of ICI therapies.