Nina Erwin
Graduate Student, Pharmaceutical Program
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is emerging as an advanced treatment approach. However, due to unpredictable outcomes and low patient response rates, novel immune modulatory approaches are essential to achieve enhanced effectiveness in broader patient populations and cancer types. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a new avenue for improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy by offering targeted and site-specific immunity modulation. EVs are able to augment therapeutic cargo transport and immunological response, making them ideal for immunotherapy development. In this presentation, we will discuss the unique properties and favorable characteristics of EVs, which underpin their cell targeting specificity and intrinsic immune modulatory functions, which are key indications of improved precision cancer immunotherapy. Novel engineering strategies for improving EV-based cancer immunotherapies are also discussed to illuminate EV’s future potential as a cancer immunotherapeutic biomaterial. By improving EV based delivery systems, through enhanced production and cargo loading efficiency, we can overcome challenges currently limiting their therapeutic efficacy and clinical utility. Therefore, by strengthening the therapeutic potential of EVs, they can be better developed as a highly functional immunotherapy treatment strategy. The proposed engineered EV platforms can be applied to various therapeutic applications, targeting diverse cancer types for improved cancer immunotherapy and patient responses.
Speaker Bio
Nina Erwin is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate at the University of Florida in the College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutics. Under the advisory of Dr. Mei He, Nina’s research focuses on the utilization of extracellular vesicles as drug delivery vehicles for cancer immunotherapy. She aims to improve EV therapeutic delivery by enhancing their cellular production, packaging, and functionalization.
Florida’s State Academic Standards for Science
SC.912.L.16.8
Explain the relationship between mutation, cell cycle, and uncontrolled cell growth potentially resulting in cancer.
SC.912.L.16.10
Evaluate the impact of biotechnology on the individual, society and the environment, including medical and ethical issues.
SC.912.N.1.4
Identify sources of information and assess their reliability according to the strict standards of scientific investigation.
SC.912.N.1.7
Recognize the role of creativity in constructing scientific questions, methods and explanations.
SC.912.N.1.6
Describe how scientific inferences are drawn from scientific observations and provide examples from the content being studied.
