Decellularized Lymph Node Scaffold Vaccine Seeded with Dendritic Cells for Inducing Specific Antitumor Immunity

Cancer immunotherapy is thought to be an efficient way to prevent or treat for cancer. The main concept of this treatment is to stimulate dendritic cells activating lymphocytes, therefore lymphocytes could evoke antigen specific immunity to eliminate tumor cells. Previous studies showed immune cells could be carried with polymer fabricated scaffolds, but owing to lacking stimulating factors and environmental factors, it was difficult to induce long-term and efficient antigen-specific immunity. Decellularized lymph node scaffold (dLNs) has appropriate microenvironment for dendritic cells inducing specific adaptive immunity, hence it is considered to be a suitable material as a cancer scaffold vaccine. In this project, we aim to develop dLNs loaded with adjuvants and tumor associated antigens that enable dendritic cells to elicit tumor-specific immune responses inside the body. In the first year, we will compare different decellularized methods for decellular capacity, extracellular preservation and lymph node’s architecture. On the other hand, we’ll isolate bone marrow stem cells for dendritic cells generation. During the second year, dendritic cells will be seeded on dLNs loaded with adjuvants and tumor associated antigens, and we’ll analyze these activating dendritic cells’ proliferation, maturation and cytokines release profile. Slpeenocytes will be coculture with dendritic cells on dLNs to investigate the Th1/Th2 immune-modulatory pathway. In the third year, mice will be immunized with dLNs-dendritic cells, and then be investigated cytokines level in the serum and in vivo/ex vivo T lymphocytes activities. After immunization, mice will challenge with tumor cells, and the cancer therapeutic efficacy will be assessed by mice survival rate and tumor growth profile.