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A tiny molecule called a nanobody may succeed where today’s cancer drugs often fail, according to University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher Stefan Moisyadi, who has been refining the concept for nearly a decade.

“Antibodies won the Nobel Prize for immunotherapy,” said Moisyadi, a scientist at the Yanagimachi Institute for Biogenesis Research at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). “They work in some cancers, but not all. In colorectal cancer, they hardly work at all. But when we used nanobodies, bingo, it worked.”

The study, published in eGastroenterology, shows how Moisyadi and his team from JABSOM, the UH Cancer Center, and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience used mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) to make the body produce nanobodies that block PD-L1—a molecule that helps tumors hide from the immune system. By stopping PD-L1, nanobodies allow immune cells to recognize and attack cancer.

Smaller, stronger and more affordable

Nanobodies are about one-tenth the size of regular antibodies, cheaper to make, and more resilient under stress, according to the research.

“They don’t trigger an immune response in the patient,” Moisyadi said. “They penetrate better because they’re small. They can even refold back to their original shape when conditions improve. Basically, they’re indestructible—they work much better and they’re cheaper.”

Basically, they’re indestructible—they work much better and they’re cheaper.
—Stefan Moisyadi

While traditional antibody treatments can cost patients more than $200,000 a year, nanobody therapy—delivered as mRNA, similar to the COVID-19 vaccines—could cost only a fraction of that, making it far more accessible to patients.

“People can’t afford antibody treatments,” Moisyadi said. “Here we make an RNA version. The patient’s own cells turn it into a protein… It goes into the circulation, finds the tumor, and blocks PD-L1.”

In mouse studies, the treatment cut tumor growth by about 50%—a major result for a cancer that rarely responds to immunotherapy.

Now collaborating with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Moisyadi hopes to see this breakthrough continue growing from its roots in Hawaiʻi.

“This works,” he said. “We have the chance to be on the cutting edge. We need to have leaders’ buy-in because everyone here is still focused on antibodies.”

Read more at JABSOM

Samsung Electronics has achieved UL Solutions’ “Zero Waste to Landfill” Platinum designation across all of its global manufacturing sites — marking the first major milestone in the company’s environmental strategy.

“Zero Waste to Landfill” is a claim validation program administered by UL Solutions, a global safety science company. Designations are determined by the percentage of waste diverted from landfills, serving as a key indicator of a company’s resource circularity efforts. Platinum represents a 100% landfill diversion rate, while Gold and Silver represent 95% to 99% and 90% to 94% respectively.

Since announcing its Environmental Strategy in 2022, focused on climate action and resource circularity, Samsung has steadily advanced sustainable management practices — repurposing waste generated at its sites into valuable resources and expanding other recycling initiatives worldwide.

Last year, all 10 business sites of the Device Solutions (DS) Division earned Platinum designation through integrated validation. This year in July, the Device eXperience (DX) Division’s Hungarian subsidiary, SEH-P, also achieved Platinum, marking the final step in securing Platinum status across all 22 domestic and overseas DX manufacturing sites.

Samsung Electronics has established key directions for waste management — strengthening sorting systems, expanding reuse and increasing resource recovery — and has been implementing them through concrete initiatives.

Examples include introducing more refined waste separation systems within worksites and strengthening employee training to ensure thorough sorting.¹ Food waste and used paper are composted,² while general and construction waste is recycled into alternative fuels³ or basic raw materials.⁴ In addition, e-waste and battery residues are repurposed for solid fuel production.⁵ Through these efforts, Samsung has made steady progress toward its goal of achieving Zero Waste to Landfill.

▲ Plastic waste reduction training at Samsung Electronics’ SEHC subsidiary in Vietnam

Samsung is continuously developing technologies to recycle waste generated from semiconductor production processes into materials that can be reused in semiconductor manufacturing. For example, waste liquids are reused as a cleaning agent in scrubbers that reduce air pollutants and as water treatment agents in wastewater treatment facilities. In addition, adsorbents, activated carbon and catalysts used to control air pollutants undergo regeneration and are reused as raw materials for the same applications.

▲ Waste adsorbent regeneration process

Samsung recycled approximately 1.32 million tonnes of waste in 2024 — equivalent to 260,000 five-tonne waste trucks.

In addition to reducing waste at its worksites, Samsung has also repurposed by-products and discarded materials into new resources. The Galaxy S25, launched this year, has incorporated recycled cobalt extracted from previously used Galaxy smartphones and batteries discarded during the manufacturing process through Samsung’s Circular Battery Supply Chain. Discarded wafer trays from semiconductor manufacturing were recycled and applied to the Galaxy S25 series’ components as well.

Looking ahead, Samsung Electronics plans to further enhance systematic waste sorting and material-specific management to secure high-quality recycled resources and expand their application in products, strengthening its commitment to resource circularity.

Junhwa Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Global EHS Office, DX Division at Samsung Electronics, highlighted the significance of the achievement as “a major milestone” in the company’s environmental management strategy, adding that the company will continue to apply innovation across all areas of its business to put sustainable management into practice.

More information on Samsung Electronics’ sustainability initiatives can be found on the Samsung Electronics Sustainability website.

¹ Subsidiaries in Hungary (SEH-P), Malaysia (SEMA), Brazil (SEDA-P(M)), Türkiye (SETK-P), etc.
² Subsidiaries in Thailand (TSE-P), India (SIEL-P(C)), Malaysia (SEMA), Mexico (SEM-P), etc.
³ Subsidiaries in Vietnam (SEHC), Malaysia (SEMA), the United States (SEHA), etc.
⁴ Subsidiaries in Vietnam (SEV, SEVT), etc.
⁵ Subsidiary in Indonesia (SEIN-P)