2023.06.15 Biomaterial boosts cancer immunotherapy

Adoptive T cell transfer and host antigen-presenting cell recruitment with cryogel scaffolds promotes long-term protection against solid tumors, Journal: Nature Communications Publication date: June 15, 2023mage 1: SIVET illustration - This illustration explains how SIVET works to fight solid tumors. In step 1, SIVET cryogels, loaded with therapeutic adoptively transferred T cells that bind specific tumor cell antigens, and programmed to recruit and activate antigen-presenting cells (APCs), are injected next to a tumor site. The therapeutic T cells are released from SIVETs and rapidly start to attack the tumor. The patient’s SIVET-activated APCs infiltrate the shrinking tumor where they take up and process new tumor-specific antigens. In step 2, the tumor-antigen presenting APCs migrate to nearby lymph nodes to activate host T cells against the tumor. Then, in step 3, the newly generated tumor-specific host T cells also invade the tumor to destroy additional tumor cells in a longer-lasting anti-tumor response. The inserted image shows the cryogel’s ability to be take on defined shapes. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University SEM of SIVET - The researchers visualized the macroporous, cell-permeable structure of an injectable SIVET biomaterial using scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM). Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University T cells in a SIVET - After injection and taking action against a solid tumor, SIVETs recruit and further activate a variety of T cells that are stained with different immunofluorescence reagents in this image. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University