The project was led by PhD candidate Ofri Vizenblit and assisted by Rawan Mhajne, under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Assaf Zinger, head of the Technion\u2019s Bioinspired Nano Engineering Lab in the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe managed to design nanoparticles that got the same results as some advanced immunotherapy treatments currently in use,\u201d Zinger told The Times of Israel by telephone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had significant success.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Zinger said he hopes to advance the technology to human clinical trials.<\/p>\n \t How breast cancer hijacks the body<\/p>\n Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. It is called triple-negative because it doesn\u2019t have three specific cellular markers: estrogen, progesterone, and a protein known as HER2.<\/p>\n Without these, the cancer is not treatable by conventional hormone therapies. However, it can be treated by chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and certain inhibitors that block the cancer cells from repairing.<\/p>\n According to the World Health Organization, in 2022, roughly 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide<\/a>, and 670,000 died.<\/p>\n The Israel Cancer Association<\/a> reports that about 4,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Israel each year, and about 900 die of the disease.<\/p>\n While triple-negative breast cancer accounts for about 13% of all breast cancers, it accounts for 40% of breast cancer-related mortality, according to the National Institutes of Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zinger explained that the cancer cells employ a range of strategies to dodge a patient\u2019s immune system.<\/p>\n One of their tactics is to recruit white blood cells, known as macrophages, which normally fight bacteria, viruses, and other infections in the body.<\/p>\n The tumor hijacks these macrophages so that they feed it and help it grow instead of fighting it.<\/p>\n \t The unique nanoparticles developed by the researchers, called MPsomes, are injected into the bloodstream. They flow through the body, flood around the tumors, and block the macrophages from approaching.<\/p>\n Then other immune cells can move in, attack, and shrink the tumors by using the body\u2019s own natural defense mechanisms.<\/p>\n In preclinical testing on mouse models and cell cultures, the MPsomes inhibited tumor growth without causing any observable harm to vital organs.<\/p>\n The researchers said they can manufacture one liter of these MPsome nanoparticles in an hour. Moreover, the particles consist of materials that international regulatory bodies have already classified as safe, a factor that could greatly facilitate the transition to human clinical trials.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been working for years, but I haven\u2019t yet been able to find a shortcut to get to clinical trials,\u201d Zinger said. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the major frustrations I have. We know how to cure cancer in mice. Now let\u2019s focus on people.\u201d<\/p>\n \t \u201cThis study from Dr. Assaf Zinger\u2019s research team at the Technion takes an innovative approach to treating \u2018triple-negative\u2019 breast cancer,\u201d Asst. Prof. Avi Schroeder of the Technion\u2019s Chemical Engineering Department told The Times of Israel.<\/p>\n Schroeder, who was not involved in the research, said that instead of looking at the cancer cells, Zinger\u2019s team developed \u201cunique\u201d nanoparticles that \u201ctarget \u2018helper\u2019 cells in the tumor environment, making it less supportive of cancer growth and ultimately leading to tumor regression.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that he believes \u201cthese exciting findings bring fresh hope to patients battling breast cancer and other cancers too.\u201d<\/p>\n Zinger\u2019s research group is currently developing other nanoparticles to treat neurodegenerative pediatric diseases, traumatic brain injuries, and ovarian cancer. He said he\u2019s focused on early detection of cancer, \u201cbecause detection is non-invasive.\u201d<\/p>\n The earlier that cancer is detected, he said, the higher the chances of a cure.<\/p>\n \u201cEach year,\u201d Zinger said, \u201cI invite a cancer warrior, someone who fights the disease or has survived the disease, to talk with my students, motivate and inspire them. This connects them to the field and shows them what they are working for. This is our calling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tAsst. Prof. Assaf Zinger of the Zinger Lab in the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, center in a green shirt, with his team. (Courtesy\/Rami Shelush, Technion Spokesperson\u2019s Office)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/iStock-1184194715-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tIllustrative. A breast cancer cell in a human. (Christoph Burgstedt; iStock by Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-15-at-17.30.21-300x480.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tAsst. Prof. Avi Schroeder, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (Courtesy\/Technion-Israel Institute of Technology)<\/p>\n
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