Then, a small fiber-optic light would apply near infrared light to activate the engineered proteins to block the cancer cells’ growth and trigger immune cells to destroy the cancer cells. An estimated 26,890 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with stomach cancer, and 10,880 died of the disease in 2024, according to the National Cancer Institute. For many patients, by the time stomach cancer is diagnosed, it has already spread, or metastasized, throughout the abdomen. “There is a dire need for treatments to help people with advanced stomach cancer live longer,” Obaid said. “If successful, our approach ultimately can help patients with stomach cancer live longer after the cancer has spread.”