Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment - helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells in new and powerful ways.
For some patients, it has delivered results once thought out of reach.
But for others, immunotherapy works less effectively.
This challenge motivates Dr Tao Wang, a Senior Researcher at The Kids Research Institute Australia, in his work developing new methods to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
Dr Wang and his team are currently developing a unique RNA-based medication, which is inspired by immune responses found in nature, that could improve immunotherapy treatment and help make it more widely available.
The challenges for immunotherapy
"For immunotherapy to work, you need immune cells inside the tumour. These cells help the body fight infection and disease" Dr Wang explains.
"In many cancers, there are very few immune cells inside the tumour. If there's no immune cells, immunotherapy treatment can't harness these cells to fight the cancer."
Dr Wang's research focuses on changing that by using an RNA-based medication to help immune cells move into tumours, making the cancer more responsive to immunotherapy.
A solution inspired by nature
Scientists have long known that viruses trigger strong immune responses. When a virus enters the body, it naturally attracts immune cells and causes the body to respond to the virus and promote healing.
"But we can't use an actual virus to treat cancer" Dr Wang says.
Instead, his team has developed an RNA-based medication, which uses a special type of RNA that mimics how viruses alert the immune system, without introducing a virus itself.
We use the RNA-based medication to wake up the immune system inside the tumour, to recognise and attack the tumour more effectively
The team is developing a targeted delivery system, designed to keep the RNA inside the tumour and limit immune activity to where it's needed. So far, they've seen some promising results.
Encouraging early results
Over the past year, the approach has shown promise not only in sarcoma, but across multiple cancer types, including colon and pancreatic cancer, which are often difficult to treat. Dr Wang's team plans to test the approach on brain cancer next.
In testing, they've observed up to a 100-fold increase in immune response in the lab.
"These results give me a lot of confidence as we move towards clinical trials" Dr Wang says. He is hopeful that these clinical trials could begin within the next five years, right here in WA.
Making treatment more accessible
The team is also improving how RNA is made. Instead of traditional chemical methods, they use a manufacturing process that produces higher-quality RNA at a lower cost.
"This matters because affordability affects how many people can access this new treatment method" Dr Wang explains.
"If we can make treatments more affordable and widely available, more people can benefit."
Looking ahead
Cancer research is a long and competitive process, requiring years of testing and refinement. Sustained support is critical to enable high-quality research that can translate into real benefits for the Western Australian community.
Dr Wang is supported by a Cancer Council WA Research Fellowship (2025-2028) and a 2026 Cancer Research Project Grant, co-funded by the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund and Cancer Council WA.
Receiving this funding opens up new opportunities for me to collaborate with leading experts in my field and link my scientific background to my desire to make an impact in cancer research.
"It's amazing to think the work we do today could save lives in the future" Dr Wang says.
With strong early results, a clear pathway to WA-based clinical trials, and a focus on safety as well as effectiveness, Dr Wang hopes his work will help more people benefit from immunotherapy, bringing new hope to patients and their families.
