# Overcoming vaccine-associated hypoxia with advanced biomaterials to enhance cancer immunotherapy

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $471,003

## Abstract

Project Summary
Overcoming the poor efficacy of tumor cell vaccines will require enhancing activation of the immune system and
preventing an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment such as local hypoxia. In this proposal, we will
address this critical need by engineering tumor cell vaccines with advanced oxygen-releasing biomaterials (O2-
cryogels) to combat hypoxia-driven immunosuppression and improve antitumor immune responses in relevant
mouse models of prostate cancer. Our preliminary data in mice indicate that: (i) O2-cryogels can reverse local
hypoxia and restore the function of key immune cells (dendritic cells; DCs); (ii) once in the body, cryogel vaccines
efficiently localize transplanted tumor cells, controllably release immunomodulatory factors, and recruit large
numbers of DCs from the host; and (iii) elicit a specific and robust vaccine-induced T cell-mediated antitumor
immunity. Here, we will optimize the characteristics of O2-cryogels for maximum antitumor efficacy and safety;
and assess their ability to suppress the local hypoxic stress and improve DC recruitment, activation, and homing
to the draining lymph nodes. Finally, we will test O2-cryogel vaccines in prophylactic and therapeutic mouse
models of prostate cancer to determine their ability to induce specific, effective, and long-lasting antitumor
immune responses. This proposal may have a sustained impact on the field by defining a new avenue of cancer
immunotherapy that operates independently but synergizes with other therapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10439674
- **Project number:** 5R01EB027705-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SIDI A BENCHERIF
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $471,003
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10439674

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10439674, Overcoming vaccine-associated hypoxia with advanced biomaterials to enhance cancer immunotherapy (5R01EB027705-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10439674. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*