In this episode of YOU: The Owner’s Manual, Dr. Michael Roizen welcomes Dr. Omid Veiseh, bioengineering professor at Rice University, to discuss a cutting-edge cancer treatment that transforms the body into its own immune-enhancing pharmacy.  Dr. Veiseh shares how implantable cytokine “factories” may reshape the future of immunotherapy for deadly cancers like pancreatic, colorectal, and metastatic melanoma.

Key Points:

Researchers at Rice University have developed tiny implantable devices that act as living drug factories, producing immune-activating cytokines like interleukin-12 directly at tumour sites. These cytokine implants help retrain the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, including those that have spread throughout the body. 

• The ‘Living Pharmacy’ Concept-Targeted Drug Production Inside the Body: Dr. Veiseh’s team designed tiny, implantable devices containing engineered cells that continuously produce immune-activating cytokines—specifically at tumour sites—eliminating the need for repeated drug injections.
• Why Cytokines Matter in Cancer Immunotherapy: Cytokines are signalling molecules that help “wake up” the immune system. Many cancers suppress these signals, allowing tumours to grow unchecked. The implant delivers interleukin-12 directly to the tumor to overcome this suppression.
• Activating T Cells to Kill Tumours: The cytokine implants trigger the generation of killer T cells that recognize and attack cancer cells. These T cells can then travel throughout the body to find and destroy tumours that have spread to distant organs.
• Designed for Difficult-to-Treat Cancers: The therapy has shown promise in preclinical models of highly lethal cancers—including ovarian, pancreatic, and metastatic melanoma—and could be especially useful for patients who don’t respond to current immunotherapies.
• Complementing Breakthroughs Like Checkpoint Inhibitors: The cytokine approach may work best alongside checkpoint inhibitors (like those pioneered by Nobel laureate Dr. Jim Allison), by reactivating immune systems that have been silenced by tumors.
• First Human Trials Expected by 2026: With strong support from clinicians at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the team is preparing for first-in-human clinical trials for ovarian cancer patients, aiming to bring this breakthrough to the clinic within the next year.