Cancer Biomaterials Engineering

Division Of Basic Sciences - Nci

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Cancer Biomaterials Engineering Section studies both naturally-derived and synthetic biomaterials as immune regulators during cancer defense in the following project areas: (1) 3D extracellular matrix scaffolds to model the tumor immune microenvironment in vitro and response to therapy and (2) biomaterial immune modulation and delivery of cancer immunotherapeutics in vivo after tumor resection surgery. The lab has developed 3D tumor models termed "MatriSpheres" that self-assembles tissue derived extracellular matrix into a engineered 3D tumor stroma in-a-dish. These are now being applied to determine how tumor stroma affects cancer cell behavior and immune cell function using co-culture with T cells and macrophages. The lab is using tissue derived matrices as a biologic-scaffold delivery system for immune adjuvants used in cancer immunotherapy. This includes extensive immune characterization of the biomaterial microenvironment and the efficacy of this system to develop anti-tumor immune responses. In the past year, we have reported the MatriSphere model and shown that ECM rich stroma influence cancer cell cytokine expression, which assumes a phenotype that is more similar to in vivo tumors than ECM-free spheroids. We have reported studies showing that local immunotherapy using scaffolds prevents tumor recurrence.