SCALPEL

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer remains one of the leading causes of death, with 20 million new cases worldwide in 2022. Despite advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, no existing treatment has been able to fully eradicate the disease. The SCALPEL project is set to change the cancer treatment landscape through an innovative fusion of photomedicine and immunotherapy.

The interdisciplinary research team is pioneering a dual-action approach that not only destroys cancer cells but also ensures no malignant cells are left behind while training the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells in the future. In the first phase of the therapy, light-activated treatments known as Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Photochemical Internalization (PCI) are used to kill the bulk of the tumour cells. However, some sublethally damaged cancer cells may survive leading to recurrence.

The next phase is where SCALPEL’s breakthrough happens: specially engineered antibodies with clickable ends are introduced. When exposed to light therapy, these antibodies selectively flag the remaining cancer cells for immune destruction. This targeted therapy is expected to eliminate the remaining cancer cells completely while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Most importantly, this process will train the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells in the future, potentially offering a long-term cure through abscopal immunity.