Carolyn Jons
Ph.D. Student in Materials Science and Engineering, admitted Autumn 2020
Masters Student in Materials Science and Engineering, admitted Summer 2024
All Publications
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Delivery of CAR-T cells in a transient injectable stimulatory hydrogel niche improves treatment of solid tumors.
Science advances
2022; 8 (14): eabn8264
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) has proven to be highly effective in treating blood cancers, but traditional approaches to ACT are poorly effective in treating solid tumors observed clinically. Novel delivery methods for therapeutic cells have shown promise for treatment of solid tumors when compared with standard intravenous administration methods, but the few reported approaches leverage biomaterials that are complex to manufacture and have primarily demonstrated applicability following tumor resection or in immune-privileged tissues. Here, we engineer simple-to-implement injectable hydrogels for the controlled co-delivery of CAR-T cells and stimulatory cytokines that improve treatment of solid tumors. The unique architecture of this material simultaneously inhibits passive diffusion of entrapped cytokines and permits active motility of entrapped cells to enable long-term retention, viability, and activation of CAR-T cells. The generation of a transient inflammatory niche following administration affords sustained exposure of CAR-T cells, induces a tumor-reactive CAR-T phenotype, and improves efficacy of treatment.
View details for DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abn8264
View details for PubMedID 35394838