Pulsatile blood flow takes you on a ride as a red blood cell through the circulatory system in the Nanot animation. We begin the animation with the role of natural killer (or NK) cells as a part of the innate immune system that defends against cell malfunction as well as foreign particles (like bacteria or viruses). NK cells have a mechanism to identify and destroy damaged or diseased cells. However, tumor cells release certain receptors and chemicals, which makes them less likely to be destroyed, thus ‘hiding’ from the innate immune system. Nanot nanoparticles are multilayered structures designed to bind to these protective molecules released by tumor cells into the microenvironment. Once these soluble molecules are removed from the tumor microenvironment, the innate immune system is better able to identify and destroy the aberrant cells. The length of the animation allows the viewer to experience extended zoom into tissues and cells and more time to describe and understand the underlying biology.
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