Abstract 3735: Combinatorial targeting of tumor-microenvironment together with antigen vaccination using innovative nano-immuno-gel for enhanced cancer-immunotherapy

Abstract Successful cancer-immunotherapy need to address three critical factors: a) Relieving the immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) b) expanding antigen specific, functionally avid effector T cells, c) triggering systemic immunity with a balanced innate-adaptive response for continued effector cell-feeder supply-chain and memory generation. Combinatorial engagement of such multi-elemental components demands smart, engineered immunotherapy systems compared to conventional vaccines. Here, we report an injectable Nano-Immuno-Gel (NIG) that can neutralize immunosuppressive components (e.g., myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), M2 macrophages (Mϕ) in TME, together with generating strong effector T cells by nano-vaccination, and sustained release of cytokines to enhance systemic immunity against tumor. In a proof-of-concept study, we show that sustained-release of myeloid-suppressive drug from NIG depot efficiently inhibited MDSCs and M2 Mϕ, not only in TME, but also in the circulation and in peripheral systems, thus creating a conducive, hot TME infiltrated with CD8 effector cells. Follow-up antigen vaccination with novel nano-adjuvant enhanced DC-T cell engagement and sustained IL15 release from NIG provided systemic NK/T cell activation, rendering significant control of the tumor growth. Our data demonstrate the potential of rationally engineered multi-functional nano-immuno-gels (NIG) to combine sequential neutralization of the suppressive TME, antigen vaccination, and concurrent systemic immune activation for highly effective combinatorial cancer immunotherapy. Citation Format: Anjali Kozhissery Sunilkumar, Margaux Salvi, Saira Nujoom Mohammed, Zahara Thaivalappil Zakkariya, Alejandra Gomez Cadena, Shalin Chappan, Sreedevi Panachithanathu Radhakrishnan, Maneesh Manohar, Pavithran Keechilat, Shantikumar Nair, Pedro Romero, Camilla Jandus, Manzoor Koyakutty. Combinatorial targeting of tumor-microenvironment together with antigen vaccination using innovative nano-immuno-gel for enhanced cancer-immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3735.