STING-activating cyclic dinucleotide-manganese nanoparticles evoke robust immunity against acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults with a 5-year survival rate of 30.5%. These poor patient outcomes are attributed to tumor relapse, stemming from ineffective innate immune activation, T cell tolerance, and a lack of immunological memory.

Cancer stem cell antigen nanodisc cocktail elicits anti-tumor immune responses in melanoma.

One of the major reasons for poor cancer outcomes is the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are a small subpopulation of tumor cells that can self-renew, differentiate into the majority of tumor cells, and maintain tumorigenicity. As CSCs are resistant to traditional chemotherapy and radiation, they contribute to metastasis and relapse.

Vaccine nanodiscs plus polyICLC elicit robust CD8+ T cell responses in mice and non-human primates.

Conventional cancer vaccines based on soluble vaccines and traditional adjuvants have produced suboptimal therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials. Thus, there is an urgent need for vaccine technologies that can generate potent T cell responses with strong anti-tumor efficacy. We have previously reported the development of synthetic high-density protein (sHDL) nanodiscs for efficient lymph node (LN)-targeted co-delivery of antigen peptides and CpG oligonucleotides (a Toll-like receptor-9 agonist).

Genetic Alterations in Gliomas Remodel the Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Impact Immune-Mediated Therapies.

High grade gliomas are malignant brain tumors that arise in the central nervous system, in patients of all ages. Currently, the standard of care, entailing surgery and chemo radiation, exhibits a survival rate of 14-17 months. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies for these malignant brain tumors.

Non-viral COVID-19 vaccine delivery systems.

The novel corona virus termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread throughout the globe at a formidable speed, causing tens of millions of cases and more than one million deaths in less than a year of its report in December 2019. Since then, companies and research institutions have raced to develop SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, ranging from conventional viral and protein-based vaccines to those that are more cutting edge, including DNA- and mRNA-based vaccines. Each vaccine exhibits a different potency and duration of efficacy, as determined by the antigen design, adjuvant molecules, vaccine delivery platforms, and immunization method.

Engineered Nanoparticles for Cancer Vaccination and Immunotherapy.

The immune system has evolved over time to protect the host from foreign microorganisms. Activation of the immune system is predicated on a distinction between self and nonself. Unfortunately, cancer is characterized by genetic alterations in the host's cells, leading to uncontrolled cellular proliferation and evasion of immune surveillance.

Cancer Immunotherapy via Targeting Cancer Stem Cells Using Vaccine Nanodiscs.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) proliferate extensively and drive tumor metastasis and recurrence. CSCs have been identified in over 20 cancer types to date, but it remains unknown how to target and eliminate CSCs in vivo. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a marker that has been used extensively for isolating CSCs.

Efficient Lymph Node-Targeted Delivery of Personalized Cancer Vaccines with Reactive Oxygen Species-Inducing Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheets.

Therapeutic cancer vaccines require robust cellular immunity for the efficient killing of tumor cells, and recent advances in neoantigen discovery may provide safe and promising targets for cancer vaccines. However, elicitation of T cells with strong antitumor efficacy requires intricate multistep processes that have been difficult to attain with traditional vaccination approaches. Here, a multifunctional nanovaccine platform has been developed for direct delivery of neoantigens and adjuvants to lymph nodes (LNs) and highly efficient induction of neoantigen-specific T cell responses.

Vaccine nanoparticles for protection against HIV infection.

The development of a successful vaccine against HIV is a major global challenge. Antiretroviral therapy is the standard treatment against HIV-1 infection. However, only 46% of the eligible people received the therapy in 2015.