CAR-T cell therapy is one of the most promising cancer treatment strategies to have emerged recently. This personalized approach has demonstrated its effectiveness, particularly in patients who have exhausted conventional options. However, it remains costly and logistically complex. One of the main obstacles to CAR-T manufacturing lies in the introduction of genetic material into immune cells. Methods currently used in the industry include viral vectors and mass electroporation. While viral approaches are effective, they raise concerns about safety, immunogenicity and random gene integration. What’s more, mass electroporation, which relies on high-voltage electrical pulses, can stress and damage cells, reducing their therapeutic efficacy. A new NExT platform created by researchers overcomes these limitations. It works by connecting cells to a dense forest of nanopairs, microscopic hollow tubes less than a thousandth the width of a human hair. When a gentle electrical signal is applied, the nanopins open temporary pores in the cell membrane, allowing biomolecules such as mRNA or CRISPR/Cas9 complexes to penetrate directly into the cell cytoplasm.
