Research News at Hollings

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Hollings researchers develop small molecule to stimulate natural killer cells against neuroblastoma

microscopic image of cells the green cells are attacking the pink cells and the pink cells are dying and turning black

An MUSC Hollings Cancer Center team led by Patrick Woster, Ph.D., has created what members believe to be among the first small molecules designed to stimulate immune cells to fight cancer. More importantly, these compounds inhibit a specific enzyme that hasn’t been targeted with small molecules for the treatment of cancer.

“In the paper, we show that we can stimulate natural killer cells to multiply and thus more effectively attack and kill neuroblastoma,” Woster said.

Read about their work