Exosomes to help overcome limitations in cancer treatment

Kim In-san

The paradigm of cancer treatment will change moving forward thanks to the development of effective anti-cancer drugs that do not adversely affect the quality of life, according to Kim In-san, a renowned medical scholar in South Korea.

“Until now, cancer was viewed as an incurable disease and a disease that was almost always fatal,” Kim, who is the co-founder of SHIFTBIO Inc. and fellow researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, said in a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper. “But it will become a manageable condition like hypertension in the near future.”

A world-renowned expert in immunotherapy, Kim noted that the paradigm of cancer treatment will also change.

“Cancer is a disease that humans inevitably face as part of life,” he said. “Developing anti-cancer drugs that are effective, painless, and do not adversely affect the quality of life is crucial.”

Kim has taken a unique approach to cancer treatment that diverges from conventional thinking. Recognized as a first-generation medical scientist in Korea, he was the only one among his peers to choose basic medicine when he graduated from Kyungpook National University Medical School in 1984.

In 2014, Kim left his position as a university professor and joined the government-funded research institute KIST, venturing into the field of bio-venture by founding SHIFTBIO with his students in 2020.

He attributes his motivation for taking on challenges to “enjoyment.”

“I actually enjoy the process of exchanging ideas through research, conversations with students, and lectures,” Kim said. “I find joy in communication, so I also find meeting new people and facing challenges in new places enjoyable.”

SHIFTBIO is pursuing the development of new drugs based on exosomes, often referred to as the body’s microscopic delivery system.

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle (EV) released by cells. They contain nucleic acids such as proteins, mRNA, and lipids and can fuse with other cells to exchange contents.

This capability could overcome the limitations of artificially created conventional drug delivery systems.

“We have developed a technology that can load powerful therapeutic agents onto exosomes and express them precisely at the right time, providing a precise impact,” Kim said.

He expressed optimism that the exosome platform technology, which can load its own developed genes and therapeutic agents, could lead to collaborations with global pharmaceutical companies.

Responding to the negative views on exosome therapy within the public, Kim said, “Although there are currently no clinical trial cases for exosome therapy in Korea, it has already received approval for over 100 clinical trials globally.”

“SHIFTBIO is also preparing clinical and production lines in accordance with global standards,” he said.

Kim noted that exosomes could have a wide range of applications beyond cancer.

“For conditions such as fibrosis or inflammatory diseases, we need drugs that can inhibit progression and promote regeneration,” he said. “Loading promising therapeutics onto exosomes derived from stem cells is a possible approach.”