PolyU students win gold medal in iGEM Competition 2024 with novel dual-targeting nanobody to overcome drug resistance in pancreatic cancer cells

A team of students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has won a gold medal and been listed among the top 10 undergraduate teams at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) 2024 Grand Jamboree held in Paris. They also received dual nominations for Best Oncology Project and Best New Composite Part. Centred on the development of a novel dual-targeting nanobody to address gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer patients, the winning project demonstrated exceptional potential for advancing innovation in cancer treatment and research, as well as broader application in synthetic biology.

Pancreatic cancer has a higher mortality rate than many other major cancers and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Hong Kong. Traditional treatments face challenges such as lack of targeted therapies and the low efficiency of chemotherapy and radiotherapy due to drug resistance, particularly to gemcitabine, a standard chemo-therapeutic agent. This is indicative of a concerning trend of decreasing sensitivity to first-line treatments for early-stage pancreatic cancer.

The PolyU team has developed a novel strategy to overcome this treatment challenge. Through bioinformatic analysis, they identified two crucial cell surface receptors, namely EGFR and HER2, which significantly correlate with tumour growth and resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer. Based on these findings, the team designed “Panobody”, a dual-targeting nanobody that can specifically block EGFR and HER2 and their signalling pathways. Subsequent experiments on Panobody, both used alone and in combination with gemcitabine, verified its effectiveness in inhibiting pancreatic cancer cell growth and even increasing their responsiveness to gemcitabine therapy.

Competing with 195 undergraduate teams from around the world, the interdisciplinary team of 11 students from the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering spent eight months in rigorous laboratory work and comprehensive project development, while also consulting prominent clinical experts with extensive experience in pancreatic cancer treatment. Additionally, they conducted various innovative public engagement initiatives to promote awareness about pancreatic cancer, including creating an interactive educational game, setting up community booths and collaborating with the Hong Kong Cancer Fund for charity donation.

The team was under the guidance of Prof. Terence LEE, Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and other experts at PolyU. Prof. Lee applauded the team’s dedication to both scientific excellence and public engagement, and remarked, “This outstanding result not only recognises the high quality, impact and ingenuity of their work, but also highlights PolyU’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of biotechnology leaders.”

The iGEM Competition, established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2004, is an annual, worldwide synthetic biology event aimed at undergraduate university students, as well as high school and graduate students. The Competition challenges participants to address real-world problems by designing, building, testing and measuring a system of their own design using interchangeable biological parts and standard molecular biology techniques.

For more details about the winning project, please visit: https://2024.igem.wiki/hkpolyu/

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