The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund has selected six new research projects for support this coming year, including one focused on delivering immunotherapies directly to tumors. This project is led by two researchers from the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering.
This article was originally published on August 29, 2024, by Matt Simpson at NC State Research and Innovation News and has been edited for relevance to the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. You can read the full article here.
Many cancer patients now have more than merely chemotherapy to choose from to treat their tumors. Modern immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment by programming a patient’s own immune system to target and destroy cancerous cells. As it stands, though, only about 25% of cancer patients successfully respond to immunotherapies. By and large, these groundbreaking therapies are currently delivered intravenously, which results in low retention rates for some tumors.
Instead of using an IV, researchers are looking for ways to inject cancer-killing drugs directly into tumors. David Zaharoff, an associate professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, and his Ph.D. student Siena Mantooth have developed an injectable hydrogel that aims to maximize the amount of therapeutics that tumors retain. Their novel platform is designed to be adapted as needed — and could one day treat any type of solid cancer. Solid cancers account for nine out of every 10 diagnoses, which equates to 18 million cases annually.
Preliminary experimental data in mice shows that with their approach, a single injection of the hydrogel mixed with an immunotherapy can eliminate tumors and prevent the cancer from growing back.
CIF and 2ndF support will be used to connect with oncologists and assess the clinical feasibility of the hydrogel. Mantooth and Zaharoff still need to generate additional preclinical data on their platform’s safety and efficacy. If they receive approval to conduct large-animal trials later this year, though, it could get them through FDA review much faster.
For more information about the Zaharoff Laboratory and their work in cancer drug-delivery, please visit their lab website here.