New approach to combating cancer Researchers in the Nano-Argovia project B7H3 In the Nano-Argovia project B7H3 Nanobody PC, researchers Nanobody PC are using cell cultures to investiga- have come closer to their goal of developing a new method for te a new method for imaging and treating malig- nant tumors. imaging and treating malignant tumors. The approach is based on the use of a so-called nanobody-polymer conjugate. This is a combination of a cell-speci昀椀c nanobody, which acts very sim- ilarly to antibodies but is much smaller and which binds spe- ci昀椀cally to certain cancer cells, and a polymer that can be loaded “Even though there is still a with di昀昀erent compounds. The nanobody-polymer conjugate long way to go: I am positive will be designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and then bind about the results regarding to the speci昀椀c target molecule on the surface of cells of malig- nanobody production and nant brain tumors. Depending on the active substance that is radioactive labeling, and we are bound to the nanobody-polymer conjugate, cancer cells in the looking forward to the 昀椀rst brain may be combated or imaged. A radioactively labeled na- coupling attempts with the nobody is currently in initial cell culture trials, and various test new polymer carriers.” polymers for conjugation have been developed. Dr. Christian Geraths, Cooperation with: CIS Pharma AG // FHNW School of Life CSO at CIS Pharma AG Science // Paul Scherrer Institute // University Children’s Hospital Zurich (without funding from the SNI) Project description: https://bit.ly/3lrxFGd 40 SNI Annual Report 2023