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Immunomodulatory biomaterial to enhancing T-cell responses to triple negative breast cancer

Award Number: R44CA281563
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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Immunomodulatory biomaterial to enhancing T-cell responses to triple negative breast cancer - Project Summary Deaths from solid tumors vastly outnumber deaths from hematopoietic cancers. Yet progress in immunotherapies for solid tumors is well behind those for lymphoma. CAR-T cell therapies and engineered T cells have become revolutionary approaches for hematopoietic cancers, but their potential for solid tumors is yet to be realized. Significant challenges hinder the potential of immune therapies in solid tumors, including insufficient activation and eventual exhaustion of effector T cells; and suppression of T cell effector responses in the tumor microenvironment. In this proposal we consider these hurdles and offer a biomaterial solution that overcomes them. This proposal is significant in facilitating endogenous T cells to fight solid tumors. Surgery is a major treatment modality for both invasive and in situ tumors, but at this time, there are no specific immunotherapies initiated at the time of surgery; they all start days to weeks later. Our proposal is significant for offering a way to start treatments early, right at the time of initial surgery. Here our synthetic scaffold, SymphNode can be injected at the time of biopsy or surgery not to only recruit and active tumor-experienced local immune cells but also to suppress the inhibitory cells created by tumor cells. Our long-term goal is to develop this bioengineered, locally injected, “synthetic lymph node” into a therapy for human tumors.


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: 2025 ( Subtotal = $987,911 )
2025	2025	SYMPHONY BIOSCIENCES INC	570 WESTWOOD PLZ	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	002	3	7/29/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$987,911
2025	2024	SYMPHONY BIOSCIENCES INC	570 WESTWOOD PLZ	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	2	11/4/2024	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
2025	2023	SYMPHONY BIOSCIENCES INC	570 WESTWOOD PLZ	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	001	1	1/31/2025	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $987,911

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $992,724 )
2024	2024	SYMPHONY BIOSCIENCES INC	570 WESTWOOD PLZ	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	2	9/17/2024	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$992,724
														Subtotal = $992,724

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $399,586 )
2023	2023	SYMPHONY BIOSCIENCES INC	570 WESTWOOD PLZ	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	1	4/19/2023	NEW	$399,586
														Subtotal = $399,586

Grand Total All Awards = $2,380,221

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Immunomodulatory biomaterial to enhancing T-cell responses to triple negative breast cancer

Award Number: R44CA281563

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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