Research

Research in the Nanoimmune Therapeutics Lab focuses on chemo-immunotherapy of solid tumors with nanomedicines and focused ultrasound.

Improving local and abscopal solid-tumor immunotherapy

Depending on the tumor microenvironment and cancer types, <50% of patients with advanced-stage disease respond to currently available immunotherapeutics. To improve sensitivity to immunotherapies, our lab is leveraging focused ultrasound and nanomedicines-based immunoadjuvants to reprogram solid tumors locally, and thereby improve therapeutic response against treated and untreated tumors (abscopal effect). Specifically, our lab has developed a biocompatible calreticulin-liposome nanoparticle that upon direct intratumoral injection enhances immune-mediated detection of solid tumors in the presence of ultrasound exposures. Related works in the laboratory are focusing on re-purposing systemic toxic agents (e.g. tumoricidal bacteria, anti-CD40 agonists, etc.) with focused ultrasound for immunotherapy applications.

Translating device-directed nanomedicines to canine immunotherapy trials  

Many types of canine cancers are very similar in behavior to aggressive human cancers originating in various parts of bodies. We are translating our in-house-developed nanomedicines and focused ultrasound therapy for treating canine cancer patients. Built on the premise of promoting one health and one medicine, we have been able to establish a state-of-the-art bench-to-clinic that is actively performing several veterinary cancer trials in patients. Human oncology researchers are also collaborating with us to promote parallel trials utilizing these concepts in veterinary and human settings.

• Focused Ultrasound Foundation: Canine Patient Profile - Oreo
• Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Targeted Therapy News
• OSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Einstein College of Medicine partner to advance human and animal cancer research

Chemo-immunotherapy therapy with localized solid-tumor heating

Our laboratory has conducted several pioneering studies demonstrating the improved benefits of focused ultrasound directed solid-tumor chemotherapy. Ongoing work in the laboratory are focusing on how FUS-induced local heating and stress can be utilized to modify the tumor microenvironment, upregulate pro-phagocytic signals and overall tumor immunity with chemotherapy agents.