Unmet Need
Adoptive T cell transfer immunotherapy is a promising approach for treating a variety of cancer tumors. They involve the removal, culture, and expansion of resident T cells ex-vivo several thousand fold before reinfusion back into the body. However, a concern with current culturing methods is their inconsistency in developing and retaining the required cellular phenotypes and the slow speed at which proliferation can be achieved. Improved modulation of the cell culture environment is an opportunity to increase efficiency and efficacy of adoptive cell transfer immunotherapies.
Technology Overview
A hyaluronic acid (HA) based hydrogel presenting two immune-stimulatory signals for T cell activation has been developed. The hydrogel functions as an extracellular stimulating matrix, comparable to the role of lymph nodes. The structure has tunable stiffness properties allowing for biomimetic mechanotransduction required for effective T cell stimulation. Finally, the presence of physical ligands attached to the matrix provides more efficient stimulation that current culture techniques relying on soluble signals. The technology was validated in an in-vitro model where proliferation was markedly better than soluble signal and then in a rare antigen specific in-vivo model where higher survival and lower tumor growth was observed.
Stage of Development
The inventors have developed an immune-stimulatory hydrogel capable of functioning as an extracellular matrix to stimulate T cells to a greater extent than soluble signals. The inventors have published their findings and have advanced research to an in-vivo mouse model.
Publications
Hickey et al., Advanced Materials June 2019https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adma.201807359
