IIT Bombay's enzyme tweak could boost cancer immunotherapy

Technology Feb 05, 2026

IIT Bombay researchers have found a gentler way to recover T-cells—key immune fighters—from lab scaffolds using an enzyme called Accutase.
This tweak, led by Professor Prakriti Tayalia and published on February 5, 2026, could help doctors make better CAR T-cell therapies for cancer.

The enzyme Accutase helps in gentle recovery of T-cells

Normally, getting T-cells out of these lab-made "nests" can be difficult to retrieve and, if harsh methods are used, can damage their surface proteins or impair function—bad news for patients.
Accutase keeps the cells healthy and ready to multiply, unlike harsher methods that damage them.
That means higher-quality cells for treatments and real hope for making immunotherapy work better against tough diseases like cancer.