# Tumor casting hydrogels for interventional radiology treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2022 · $243,750

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fastest rising cause of cancer-related death in the United States. One of
the major treatments used for HCC is embolization, i.e. blocking the blood vessels feeding a tumor with
microbeads. Drug-eluting beads (DEBs) are frequently used for this purpose. Despite the development of
DEBs, patient survival rate is only 27% at 5 years. This may be due to poor drug eluting characteristics and
incomplete embolization since the beads are large compared to the size of tumor capillaries. At the same time,
being typically radiolucent, those beads cannot be visualized via imaging, so it is challenging to assess their
successful deployment during the procedure. Therefore, the development of biodegradable materials that can
block blood vessels, have tunable drug release, as well as incorporate materials with radiopaque properties,
would be advantageous. We propose a novel injectable, thermo-sensitive, radiopaque and drug-eluting
hydrogel as a therapeutic platform for HCC treatment, which will completely occlude tumor blood vessels.
Renally clearable gold nanoparticles (AuNP) will be used to render the gel radiopaque since they have strong
X-ray attenuation, excellent biocompatibility and can eventually be excreted. In this proposed research,
AuNP/drug loaded hydrogels will be synthesized and will be physically and chemically characterized. In vivo
studies examining the contrast generating properties of the gel, its anti-tumor effects, its biodistribution and
clearance will be performed. The results of this work will set the stage for the additional efficacy and safety
studies needed prior to clinical translation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10397989
- **Project number:** 5R21EB029556-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** David Peter Cormode
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $243,750
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10397989

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10397989, Tumor casting hydrogels for interventional radiology treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (5R21EB029556-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10397989. Licensed CC0.

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