BioE Seminar: Engineering IL-12-based Cancer Immunotherapies

Abstract: The Zaharoff lab develops focal immunotherapies to treat cancer and other diseases. Our technology agnostic approach leverages biomaterials-based formulations and protein engineering to control the biodistribution of immunomodulators following direct administration to diseased tissues. Controlling delivery allows us to influence the duration and intensity of immune responses, limit systemic side effects associated with systemically administered immunotherapies, and overcome local immune dysregulation. This seminar will focus on our efforts to localize the antitumor cytokine, interleukin-12 (IL-12), to the tumor microenvironment. Successes and failures on the way to clinical translation of a novel IL-12-based cancer immunotherapy will be discussed.