Post-irradiation intratumoral heterogeneity modulates response to immune checkpoint inhibition therapy in a murine melanoma model.

Purpose: The underlying mechanism for radiation as a potentiator of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is unclear. We developed a novel murine model to investigate the effects of post-irradiation intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) on response to ICI.

Experimental Design: Parental mouse melanoma B16F10 cells were irradiated in vitro (5Gy x 3 fractions), then an a priori determined number of resulting colonies were implanted in C57BL/6J immunocompetent mice creating syngeneic models of unirradiated (parental) and irradiated tumors with low (irradiated-L) and high (irradiated-H) ITH.

Continuous liquid interface production of 3D printed drug-loaded spacers to improve prostate cancer brachytherapy treatment.

Brachytherapy, which is the placement of radioactive seeds directly into tissue such as the prostate, is an important curative treatment for prostate cancer. By delivering a high dose of radiation from within the prostate gland, brachytherapy is an effective method of killing prostate cancer cells while limiting radiation dose to normal tissue. The main shortcomings of this treatment are: less efficacy against high grade tumor cells, acute urinary retention, and sub-acute urinary frequency and urgency.

3D printed drug-loaded implantable devices for intraoperative treatment of cancer.

Surgery is an important treatment for cancer; however, local recurrence following macroscopically-complete resection is common and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Systemic chemotherapy is often employed as an adjuvant therapy to prevent recurrence of residual disease, but has limited efficacy due to poor penetration and dose-limiting off-target toxicities. Selective delivery of chemotherapeutics to the surgical bed may eliminate residual tumor cells while avoiding systemic toxicity.