# High-efficiency microfluidic cell fusion for dendritic cell/tumor cell vaccine production

> **NIH NIH R21** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2021 · $428,524

## Abstract

Project Summary
Personalized immunotherapy using cancer vaccines made of dendritic-tumor (DC/Tumor) hybrid cells is
being developed for a range of cancers, starting with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and now being
adapted to other blood cancers (lymphoma, multiple myeloma) and solid tumors (renal cell carcinoma,
breast cancer). These cancer vaccines have demonstrated durable remissions, long-lasting protection,
and minimal toxicity. During processing, DC-based vaccines use fusion of millions of patient-derived
tumor cells and autologous DCs to create hybrid cells that present a broad array of tumor antigens,
including neoantigens generated by the unique mutational profile of an individual's tumor, in the context
of DC-mediated co-stimulation. Despite their promise, several technical challenges exist during vaccine
production stemming from the low and variable DC-tumor fusion efficiency. One challenge involves
obtaining adequate tumor tissue, which can restrict vaccine applicability in early-stage tumors and solid
cancers. More significantly, low fusion efficiency means that many tumor cells do not contribute to the
vaccine, which may limit the neoantigen repertoire and the ultimate efficacy of the vaccine. To attain high
fusion efficiency, we propose to adapt a microfluidic method for cell fusion to a centrifugal format that
uses a microfluidic spinning disc to fuse hundreds of thousands of cells. In this R21 we propose to
address two high-risk questions necessary before further development can take place: 1) can we fuse
clinically relevant quantities of cells at high efficiency, and 2) does increased fusion efficiency provide
any biological (and, thus, potentially clinical) benefits. We thus propose two specific aims:
Aim 1: Development of a centrifugal microfluidic disc platform for high-efficiency fusion of DC/AML cells.
We will adapt a microfluidic cell fusion platform to a spinning disc centrifugal format, which processes
cells over a large area.
Aim 2: Ex vivo and in vivo evaluation of disc-made DC/AML fusion cancer vaccines. We will utilize ex
vivo human patient-derived and murine AML models to evaluate disc-made DC/AML fusion cells in
comparison to conventionally processed fusion cells.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10191219
- **Project number:** 1R21CA259840-01
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** David E. Avigan
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $428,524
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-04-02 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10191219

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10191219, High-efficiency microfluidic cell fusion for dendritic cell/tumor cell vaccine production (1R21CA259840-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10191219. Licensed CC0.

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