Researchers at Kyoto University’s iCeMS have developed a protein-based tool called Crunch (Connector for Removal of Unwanted Cell Habitat) that reprogrammes the immune system’s natural clearance process. Normally, phagocytes remove dead cells through phagocytosis, but Crunch redirects them to target living harmful cells, such as cancer or overactive immune cells.
Crunch works by modifying Protein S, replacing its usual “dead cell–detecting” domain with custom sensors that recognise specific cell surface proteins. Once attached, Crunch links the unwanted cells to phagocytes, which then engulf and destroy them.
In mouse models, Crunch successfully eliminated cancer cells and immune cells linked to lupus, reducing disease signs. Unlike CAR T therapies or antibody drugs, Crunch is a modular protein that could be delivered by injection and tailored to different conditions.
The researchers are now refining Crunch for safety and clinical use, positioning it as a new class of adaptable therapiesthat harness the body’s own waste-disposal system to precisely remove harmful cells.
Credit: GEN