SUMMARY Next-generation mRNA vaccine platform uses a lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticle to boost stability, immune cell uptake, and T cell responses, leading to stronger and longer-lasting protection against viruses and cancer while maintaining strong antibody responses The Unmet Need: Intracellular delivery of mRNA… Read More
SUMMARY Small molecule drugs developed to induce trained immunity in macrophage cells resulting in a heightened pro-inflammatory response without triggering a primary immune response The Unmet Need: Trained immunity induction that does not rely on pathogen-derived agents or endogenous molecules and without… Read More
SUMMARY Polymersomes are a type of nanoscale vesicle made from block copolymers and can encapsulate a variety of therapeutic agents including proteins and nucleic acids. These nanovesicles are assembled at room temperature and incorporate features such as permanently charged moieties for stability and mannosylation for targeted delivery. Read More
SUMMARY This technology is a prevention method for those at risk of C. difficile infection using a mutated strain of C. difficile that reduces toxicity and competes with virulent strains, offering a safer alternative to antibiotics and fecal microbiome transplants by colonizing the colon and preventing infections. Read More
SUMMARY A cancer vaccine that enhances immune response by directly binding adjuvants to tumor cells, avoiding targeting antibodies, and reducing related side effects The problem: Therapeutic vaccination has long been a promising avenue for cancer immunotherapy but is often limited by tumor heterogeneity with variation in the antigens present on… Read More
SUMMARY A method to attenuate RSV and other NNS RNA viruses by reducing m6A modifications on their RNA. This approach enhances genetic stability, ensures sufficient attenuation, triggers higher immune responses, retains high immunogenicity, and makes vaccine production feasible. The problem: A live… Read More
SUMMARY Detection and monitoring of autoantibodies against Angiotensin II in COVID-19 patients, guiding diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine design to reduce blood pressure complications and prevent harmful autoimmune responses linked to the virus’s Spike protein The Unmet Need: Novel strategies to understand… Read More
SUMMARY Novel machine learning-enable platform to guide in vitro experimental screening and discovery of small molecule immunomodulators to improve immune responses The unmet need: Platform to resolve unregulated immune potentiator enhancement and suppression of inflammatory and stimulatory responses The innate immune response… Read More
SUMMARY Imidazoquinolinone derivatives that activate Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 are small molecule immune potentiators (SMIPs) that have potent activity as vaccine adjuvants and as anti-tumor agents. However, these molecules have high bioavailability that results in unacceptable levels of systemic inflammation due to adjuvant toxicity greatly limiting their use. The faculty… Read More
SUMMARY There have been significant research efforts to develop effective vaccines that elicit a strong and durable T cell response against intracellular pathogens and cancer. A popular strategy has been to enhance vaccination efficacy by targeting dendritic cells (DCs). For DCs, functional heterogeneity is critical in the complex process of… Read More
SUMMARY Many cancer vaccines fail due to insufficient CD8+ T cell targeting. To save patient lives, oncologists need tumor-specific vaccines that increase CD8+ T cell response. The inventors developed and validated an intra-tumoral vaccine adjuvant for muringe melanoma. They used a p(ManTLR7) glyco-polymer to chemically link to tumor cell binding… Read More