Lyle and Sharon Bighley Endowed Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences Aliasger Salem, Research Scientist Sean Geary, UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Director George Weiner, Research Scientist Caitlin Lemke, and Yogita Krishnamachari, '11 PhD, were recently issued a patent for their work on a novel and innovative nanoparticle formulation of chemoimmunotherapies for treatment of cancer, "Biodegradable Particulate Formulations." 

The chemo in the nanoparticles is provided at low doses that kills the tumor cells in an immunogenic manner that upregulates calreticulin (which is an eat me signal for dendritic cells). The dendritic cells internalize the apoptotic dying tumor cells and the releasing CpG helps to stimulate a potent antigen specific anti-tumor immune response. The nanoparticles have several formulation innovations that allows for packaging of both doxorubicin and CpG.

The next steps in the process are to move this formulation towards the clinic.