Cold-activated gene and drug delivery to boost tumor-freezing therapy for breast cancer
Cold-responsive gene and drug delivery-potentiated cryoimmunotherapy
This uses a cold-activated system that releases genes and medicines during tumor freezing to help the immune system better fight breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11229619 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will combine cryosurgery (freezing a tumor) with a cold-triggered carrier that releases immune-stimulating genes and drugs at the frozen site. The goal is to change the tumor environment so immune cells can enter and attack cancer more effectively and to reduce the chance of cancer spreading. Experiments will be done using breast cancer models in the lab to see whether the cold-responsive delivery increases immune activation and shrinks tumors. Successful lab results could lead to clinical testing in patients who receive cryoablation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with breast cancer who are candidates for tumor-freezing (cryoablation) or who are at risk for metastatic disease would be the most relevant candidates for related trials.
Not a fit: People whose cancers are not treated with cryoablation, those with widespread metastatic disease not amenable to local freezing, or patients requiring immediate standard surgery may not receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could make cryoablation trigger stronger and longer-lasting immune attacks that shrink tumors and lower the risk of breast cancer metastasis.
How similar studies have performed: Cryoablation has been shown to stimulate immune responses and some cryo-immunotherapy combinations have shown preclinical promise, but cold-triggered combined gene-and-drug delivery is a newer approach with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ou, Wenquan — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Ou, Wenquan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.