T lymphocytes as potential therapeutic drug carrier for cancer treatment.

The aim of our research is the application of human immune cells (T lymphocytes) as target directed drug carrier. Thereby, the inclusion of therapeutical nanoparticles into immune cells is a new strategy for a localized chemotherapy. The autonomous targeting of diseased sites makes immune cells to perfectly controlled drug delivery systems. The study's aim was to demonstrate the feasibility to mobilise immune cells as therapeutic drug carrier systems which can be combined with existing immunotherapies. Therefore, Jurkat cells as well as T lymphocytes were used to identify the smoothest procedure for loading nanoparticles into immune cells. Different loading processes, incubation times and nanoparticle concentrations were compared. Nanoparticles coated with cytotoxic antibiotic doxorubicin were used in first release experiments. A time dependent liberation of doxorubicin from carrier cells was discussed as first therapeutic approach.