Efficient immunotherapy using spider silk
(PHYSorg.com Medicine & Health)

Spider silk guarantees that special pharmaceutical substances can make it to the centre of immune cells and achieve their maximal effect. Together with the company AMSilk, researchers from the University of Bayreuth, the LMU in Munich, and the Universities of Genf and Freiburg in Switzerland have developed transport particles from artificial spider silk that are capable of significantly increasing the efficiency of immunotherapies for cancer and tuberculosis. They can also be employed in preventive vaccinations against infectious diseases or for vaccine storage in the tropics. The scientists have published their findings in the journal Biomaterials.