Wednesday, January 28, 2026 1/28/2026

Remodeling host immunity in oral cancer with personalized RNA nanoparticle vaccines

Award Number: K08DE029503
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/12/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2025

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Remodeling host immunity in oral cancer with personalized RNA nanoparticle vaccines - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) is a very aggressive and deadly disease with poor survival rates following maximal treatments such as surgery and chemoradiotherapy. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) is a major barrier of response to traditional and immune based therapies with only ~15% of patients with recurrent head and neck cancer responding to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Myeloid cells are; abundant in the TME, key mediators of T cell function, and can influence clinical outcomes both positively and negatively. We seek to understand the contribution of myeloid cells to the immunosuppressive TME and advance strategies to modulate these cells in a favorable way, to enhance OCSCC tumor killing. Our group has developed a novel vaccine treatment platform that can reprogram the intratumoral and peripheral myeloid cell compartment to an anti-tumor state. This platform leverages the use of clinically translatable lipid nanoparticles (NPs), combined with personalized tumor derived mRNA (TDRNA) that simultaneously functions as both a vaccine and an immunomodulating agent. We have demonstrated that TDRNA-NP vaccines have significant anti-tumor activity in OCSCC preclinical models and synergize with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In Aim 1, we will determine the mechanism of TDRNA-NP induced myeloid cell mediated immune responses by investigating vaccine induced myeloid cell proliferation, activation and trafficking in preclinical models of OCSCC. In Aim 2, we will identify the mechanistic role of myeloid cells in the synergy between TDRNA-NP vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors in murine models of OCSCC. In Aim 3, we will examine the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of TDRNA-NPs in client-owned felines with spontaneously occurring oral squamous cell carcinoma. These studies will give us insight into the role of the myeloid cell compartment in OCSCC and advance a promising vaccine technology towards first-in-human clinical trials. The P.I. of this project is a head and neck surgical oncologist and witnesses the daily impact head and neck cancer has on patients and recognizes the need to improve patient care through translational research. She is an active member of the Head and Neck oncology program, is strongly supported by her department, and has a mentoring team comprised of world renowned expert tumor immunologist/translational researchers, and head and neck surgeon-scientists. This mentored training and educational program has been carefully designed with research and career objectives that will allow the P.I. to progress toward becoming an expert head and neck cancer immunologist and translational researcher. In summary, this proposal has significant potential to dramatically impact the lives of patients with OCSCC and will provide substantial training and mentorship for the P.I. to become an independent investigator.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = -$2,206 )
2026	2024	CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OF CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	9500 EUCLID AVE.	CLEVELAND	OH	44195	CUYAHOGA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	000	6	1/6/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$2,206
														Subtotal = -$2,206

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $155,304 )
2024	2024	CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OF CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	9500 EUCLID AVE.	CLEVELAND	OH	44195	CUYAHOGA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	000	6	6/17/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$155,304
														Subtotal = $155,304

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $155,304 )
2023	2023	CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OF CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY	9500 EUCLID AVE.	CLEVELAND	OH	44195	CUYAHOGA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	000	5	6/26/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$155,304
														Subtotal = $155,304

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $155,304 )
2022	2022	CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE/CWRU	9500 EUCLID AVE	CLEVELAND	OH	44195	CUYAHOGA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	002	4	6/1/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$155,304
2022	2021	CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE/CWRU	9500 EUCLID AVE	CLEVELAND	OH	44195	CUYAHOGA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	001	3	2/9/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$155,304
2022	2021	CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE/CWRU	9500 EUCLID AVE	CLEVELAND	OH	44195	CUYAHOGA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	004	3	6/3/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$15,891
2022	2021	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	1523 UNION RD RM 207	GAINESVILLE	FL	32611	ALACHUA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	000	2	2/8/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$155,304
2022	2020	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	1523 UNION RD RM 207	GAINESVILLE	FL	32611	ALACHUA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	003	1	6/3/2022	NEW	-$15,891
														Subtotal = $155,304

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $155,304 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	1523 UNION RD RM 207	GAINESVILLE	FL	32611	ALACHUA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	001	2	6/10/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$155,304
2021	2020	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	1523 UNION RD RM 207	GAINESVILLE	FL	32611	ALACHUA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	000	1	2/26/2021	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $155,304

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $155,304 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA	1523 UNION RD RM 207	GAINESVILLE	FL	32611	ALACHUA	USA	Oral Diseases and Disorders Research	000	1	6/11/2020	NEW	$155,304
														Subtotal = $155,304

Grand Total All Awards = $774,314

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Remodeling host immunity in oral cancer with personalized RNA nanoparticle vaccines

Award Number: K08DE029503

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/12/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2025

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