# Biomaterial-Enhanced CAR-T/NK Cell Therapies for Glioblastoma.

> **NIH CA P01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2026 · $2,554,662

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This comprehensive research program is focused on revolutionizing the treatment of Glioblastoma (GBM), a
highly aggressive brain tumor that currently has limited and largely ineffective treatment options. GBM is known
for its devastating impact on patients, often leading to poor prognosis and survival rates. The proposal brings
together a multidisciplinary team of experts from various fields, all working towards a common goal - to
significantly enhance the efficacy of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy using innovative
translational biomaterials. The team is driven by a central hypothesis that the strategic use of biomaterial
strategies can substantially enhance the effectiveness of CAR therapy. This enhancement is expected to
promote epitope spreading, a process that currently limits CAR therapy. The proposal is structured into three
distinct but interconnected research projects (RPs), each addressing a unique aspect of the overall goal. The
first project (RP1) focuses on the integration of CAR T cell and CAR Natural Killer T (NKT) cell therapy with a
specially designed nanofibrous acetalated dextran (Ace-DEX) scaffold that has uniquely tunable release rates.
The second project (RP2) is centered on optimizing a Multifunctional Alginate Scaffold for T Cell Engineering
and Release (MASTER) system for in situ generation of CAR cells. The third project (RP3) is dedicated to the
development of CAR NKT cells, a promising new avenue in immunotherapy. In addition to these research
projects, the proposal also includes three cores and three advisory boards. The cores are designed to provide
essential support for research projects and include: Core 1: Administrative (Admin) Core; Core 2: Bioinformatics
& Immunology; Core 3: Animal Models. They aim to integrate the goals across all projects, identify significant
changes in cells of the immune system during GBM development and treatment, and develop pre-clinical mouse
models for rigorous testing of these th

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11263854
- **Project number:** 1P01CA298971-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristy M Ainslie
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** CA
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $2,554,662
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2026-03-05T00:00:00 → 2031-02-28T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11263854

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11263854, Biomaterial-Enhanced CAR-T/NK Cell Therapies for Glioblastoma. (1P01CA298971-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11263854. Licensed CC0.

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