Cells, especially immune cells, need oxygen to function, but too little or too much can be harmful. The chair group of Cell biology and immunology of Wageningen University & Research will investigate the role of oxygen carriers in the immune response. “Our SPICE project, short for super-charged immune cells, will study the role of special oxygen carriers in the cell: perfluorocarbons. We will test if these particles can support cells with low-oxygen environments, like tumours or areas with infections”, explains professor Mangala Srinivas. The SPICE project is supported by a NWO-M grant.
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are developed as artificial oxygen carriers in clinical settings. In the last decade, nanoparticles were designed incorporating PFCs, originally as a stable agent for MRI-based in-vivo cell tracking. Researchers at the chair group of Cell biology and immunology (CBI) want to investigate if these PFC-rich imaging agents can create internally oxygen-supplemented cells (IOSCs). For this research, the chair group applied for and was awarded an NWO-M grant. With the M-grants, the Dutch NWO board supports innovative, high-quality, fundamental research and/or studies involving matters of scientific urgency.
Ultimate goal
“Our ultimate goal is to create super-charged immune cells (SPICE) that can improve treatments for various health conditions”, states Srinivas. IOSCs could, according to the WUR professor, potentially carry oxygen to oxygen-deprived environments, such as solid tumours, sites of arthritis, or drug-resistant bacterial biofilms, all the while avoiding the harmful production of reactive oxygen species. “However, there is a substantial knowledge gap when it comes to safely loading cells with adequate oxygen and maintaining their oxygen levels long enough to make a meaningful impact.”
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Read more on the website of Wageningen University.