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64 Khushbu Bhatt et al.
costimulatory signals [9]. The nature of costimulatory cues and the inflammatory context results in the priming of effector T-cell responses or leads to tolerogenic responses [10].The priming of effector T cells induces their activation, proliferation, and subsequently their migration to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Upon activation, CD8+ T cells are differentiated into cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) [9]. CTLs trigger the cytotoxicity pro­cess by recognizing the antigen-MHC complex on the tumor cell surface and releasing cytotoxic granules containing perforin and granzyme [11]. This mechanism leads to the destruction of tumor cells [11]. Whereas CD4+ T cells, upon their activation and differ­entiation into helper T cells, secrete proinflammatory cytokines. This process promotes T-cell priming and activation as well as the activity of NK cells and CTLs [12–14].Addi­tionally, CD4+ T cells help in generating CTL memory responses [15].Despitethepres­ence of antitumor immune responses, tumor cells evade CTL-mediated destruction by creating an immunosuppressive environment [16,17]. In the TME, tumor cells and immu- nosuppressive cells such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), secrete inhibitory molecules which further impair DC recruitment and T-cell function [16,17]. Tumor cells induce T-cell suppression by upregulating ligands for multiple inhibitory receptors such as CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4) and PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) to induce T-cell dysfunction and facilitate tumor growth and invasion [18].
Cancer immunotherapy modulates immune cell function to explicitly target tumor cells. ICIs such as anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1, which block the inhibitory receptors on T cells, have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in various cancers [19]. However, despite promising clinical results, only a small subset of patients (20%–30%) respond favor­ably to this therapy, likely due to tumor heterogeneity and overlapping mechanisms of immunosuppression [17,20,21]. Furthermore, ICIs have been associated with unwanted side effects, such as cardiotoxicity, hepatitis, diarrhea, endocrine dysfunction, and autoim­mune disorders [19,22,23]. Adoptive cell-based therapies, another form of immunother­apy, have been used to increase the number of tumor-specific CTLs by ex vivo expansion of autologous T cells. Currently, three types of adoptive therapies for T cells are being devel­oped: (i) tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), (ii) T cells genetically modified with high­affinity T-cell receptors (TCRs), and (iii) T cells modified with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) against tumor cell-surface antigens [23]. However, in addition to high cost and lengthy processing times, adoptive T-cell therapy is marred by severe adverse reactions, including cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, and disease relapse with antigen­negative tumor cells [24–27]. Furthermore, many challenges prevail for solid tumors, most likely due to the hypoxic stress exerted by the TME, leading to tumor progression, metas­tasis, treatment failure, and escape from immunosurveillance [28]. Another form of adop- tive transfer therapy uses DCs that are loaded with antigen and transferred back into the patients [29]. Likewise, DC-based cancer vaccines consisting of peptides, whole cells, or tumor cell lysate in combination with adjuvants have been investigated clinically.
However, these approaches have shown limited therapeutic efficacy in patients with
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advanced malignancies [30]. Additionally, proinflammatory cytokines such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-12 (IL-12), interleukin-15 (IL-15), and interleukin-21 (IL-21) have been employed for inducing DC maturation and proliferation, as well as for expansion and survival of natural killer (NK) cells and CTLs [31–33]. However, the systemic administra­tion of these cytokines requires multiple high doses to induce potent antitumor efficacy, which is often associated with systemic toxicities [31–33].
Despite the promising clinical outcome of cancer immunotherapies when adminis­tered systemically, many challenges persist, such as off-target toxicity and inadequate response in “cold” tumors, limiting their therapeutic benefit. Therefore, methods that deliver immunomodulators locally in the TME alongside platforms to combine various immunostimulatory molecules are needed to reverse local immunosuppression and trig­ger robust anticancer immune responses. The use of biomaterials is an excellent strategy to address this issue either by delivering the immunomodulatory cargo to a targeted loca­tion or by locally releasing drugs/bioactive molecules at the tumor site thereby circum­venting side effects associated with systemic exposure. However, it is technically challenging to target tumors that are accessible only by invasive surgeries [34] . To address these shortcomings, approaches to prime antitumor responses in peripheral tissues are warranted as antitumor T cells activated in the peripheral lymphoid organs can traffic throughout the body and reach distant tumor sites [34]. Therefore, it is essential to effectively deliver tumor antigens and immunomodulatory factors to the peripheral tissue-resident DCs and lymph node-resident DCs [34]. For this purpose, the use of bio­materials such as nanoparticles is a viable strategy since they can facilitate the controlled delivery of stimulatory cues to DCs in the periphery and tumor-draining lymph nodes
[34]. However, while nanoparticles can be taken up by the phagocytic cells in the periph-
ery, only DCs can mount an effective antitumor response. Since more macrophages than DCs are found in the peripheral tissues, priming robust antitumor immune responses by targeting peripheral DCs is challenging [35]. As a result, the use of biocompatible scaffolds in the form of injectable or in situ-gelling matrices is an attractive strategy to recruit DCs while delivering tumor antigens and immunostimulatory cues, thereby maximizing the number of activated DCs and downstream T-cell priming [34].
Novel polymeric scaffold-based approaches can thereby overcome the limitations of current therapies while enhancing patient safety and improving clinical outcomes. Poly­meric scaffolds can be engineered to target specific cell types and act as a delivery vehicle protecting their cargo while controlling the in vivo release and pharmacokinetic profile of immunotherapeutic drugs. Multiple immunomodulatory factors such as antigens, adju­vants, and cytokines can be encapsulated in a single scaffold system for a synergistic com­binatorial approach to mitigate cancer. Principles of biomaterial science, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and cell biology can be employed to design a suitable scaffold
65Polymeric scaffolds for antitumor immune cell priming
66 Khushbu Bhatt et al.
system to attract and host immune cells, as well as to promote cell–cell interaction, cell activation, and cell expansion. Polymeric scaffolds have the potential to offer localized, targeted, and controlled drug delivery, minimizing multiple high-dose related toxicities and enhancing efficacy compared to systemic therapeutics.
This chapter offers a comprehensive summary of the polymeric scaffold systems explored for priming key immune cells and consolidating adaptive immune responses against cancer. First, we describe different types of polymers and scaffold systems that have been investigated. Next, we discuss the current efforts to leverage these biomaterials for priming specifically DCs and T cells. Finally, we highlight the challenges and future per­spectives of these unique biomaterials for cancer immunotherapy and their potential clin­ical translation.
2. Polymeric materials and scaffold systems
Polymeric scaffolds are three-dimensional (3-D) matrices fabricated using natural or synthetic polymers [36–38]. They can be used to stimulate cell–biomaterial or cell-cell interaction, serve as a vehicle to deliver biomolecules and promote cell recruitment, sur­vival, and proliferation while exhibiting minimum toxicity [39,40]. To determine the suitability of polymeric scaffolds to prime immune cells, various considerations must be taken into account [41,42]. The foremost criterion for any scaffold is that it needs to be biocompatible and must not induce any severe inflammatory reactions or cause the body to reject it. In scenarios where scaffolds are not designed to be permanent implants, they must be biodegradable, and their degradation products should be nontoxic
[43–45]. However, in certain cases, scaffolds are specifically fabricated to be
nonbiodegradable—for permanent implants or when they are intended to be explanted after the desired therapeutic effect. Polymeric scaffolds should exhibit high porosity and an interconnected pore network to facilitate cell penetration and survival as well as ade­quate diffusion and delivery of nutrients, oxygen, and biomolecules [46–48]. The pore size should be large enough to allow cell infiltration into the scaffold. At the same time, pores should be small enough to create a high specific surface area while allowing suffi­cient ligand density for optimal cell binding to the scaffold. Typically, the mechanical properties of the scaffold should be consistent with the physiological location in which it is implanted. The scaffold must be mechanically resilient to facilitate surgical handling during the injection or implantation [41,42]. Generally, the mechanical properties and pore size of the scaffold are inversely related to each other. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a balance between the porosity and the mechanical properties of the polymer scaffold for the desired application [41,42]. The scaffold surface is the primary site where surrounding cells and tissues interact with the scaffold. Surfaces can be functionalized with cell-adhesive peptides (e.g., Arg-Gly-Asp or RGD) and proteins such as collagen and fibronectin to increase scaffold integration and improve hosting of cells [41,42].
To ensure successful clinical translation, the polymeric scaffold should be cost-effective
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and scalable from laboratory-scale to large-scale good manufacturing practice (GMP) grade production. Furthermore, off-the-shelf availability is preferred for ease of admin­istration by clinicians.
The choice of polymer for fabricating the scaffold is the final criterion on which most of the above factors are dependent. Polymers used for scaffold systems can be broadly classified into natural and synthetic, biodegradable and nonbiodegradable, injectable, and surgically implantable [40,49,50]. Most of the natural polymers are biodegradable whereas synthetic polymers can be either biodegradable or nonbiodegradable [40]. The choice of polymers is governed by various features such as functional groups, bio­logical and mechanical properties, degradation rate, biocompatibility, and immunoge­nicity [42,51].
Naturally derived polymers are foremost in the category of biodegradable materials used in a clinical setting and have, therefore, been explored extensively [52]. They are further characterized into three types: (i) proteins such as collagen, gelatin, keratin, actin, myosin, fibrinogen, and silk; (ii) polysaccharides such as hyaluronic acid (HA), dextran, glycosaminoglycans, cellulose, chitin, alginate, and amylose; and (iii) nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA (Table 1) [40,50]. Since most natural polymers are bioactive and bio­compatible, they provide enhanced cellular interactions with minimal inflammatory responses compared to synthetic polymers [49,50,52,53]. Other features of natural poly­mers include natural remodeling, cell adhesion, low protein-adsorptive properties, and susceptibility to enzymatic and hydrolytic degradation [49,50,52,53]. However, the rate of degradation is dependent on the implantation site and the availability of suitable enzymes at necessary concentrations. Additionally, the chemical modification of poly­mers can significantly change the rate of degradation [49,50,52,53]. Although widely used, naturally derived polymers have many disadvantages, including complex purifica­tion protocols, batch-to-batch variations, the potential for disease transmission, and impurity-mediated stimulation of undesired immune reactions. Despite these challenges, their ability to stimulate specific cellular responses might supersede the benefits of syn­thetic polymers and play an important role in polymer selection [49,50,52,53].
On the other hand, synthetic polymers are devoid of many shortcomings of natural polymers. They are biologically inert and can be produced with batch-to-batch uni­formity, leading to more predictable properties [52]. Furthermore, they are relatively pli­able in terms of mechanical and structural design, allowing their properties to be tailored to specific applications [51]. The physical properties of synthetic polymeric scaffolds, such as their degradation rates and mechanical properties are predictable and reproducible. Since these polymers are often cheaper than their natural counterparts, they can be pro­duced in bulk quantities with consistency and longer shelf life [40]. However, synthetic polymers possess several major drawbacks, including poor cell-material interactions and host inflammatory responses, increasing the risk of implant failure [42,53].
67Polymeric scaffolds for antitumor immune cell priming
Table 1 Characteristics of natural polymers [50,52–55]. Type Polymer Properties Advantages Disadvantages
Proteins Collagen Important extracellular matrix
(ECM) protein, binds to integrin receptors on cells, role in natural wound healing, enzymatically degraded by collagenases/ metalloproteinases.
Gelatin Obtained from hydrolysis of
collagen.
Fibrin Complex network formed by
polymerization of fibrinogen in the presence of thrombin, presence of several ECM proteins like fibronectin.
Silk Produced by silkworms, contains
70%–80% fibroin (a fibrous protein comprising the core of silk) and 20%–30% sericin (adhesive protein).
Polysaccharides Hyaluronic
acid (HA)
Native component of ECM, binds
to cell surface receptor CD44, enzymatically degraded by hyaluronidase.
Cellulose Derived from plants and bacteria. Low manufacturing costs.
Biocompatible, good cell
recognition, naturally cell­adhesive.
Biocompatible, slow degradation,
excellent mechanical properties.
Biocompatible, bioadhesive,
biofunctional, biodegradable, injectable.
Biocompatible, induce improved
cellular interaction, adjustable degradation, robust mechanical performance.
Modulates inflammatory
response, unique viscoelastic properties, injectable.
Poor physicochemical and
mechanical properties, mild immunogenicity, high cost of pure collagen, risk of infectious disease transmission with bovine collagen.
Susceptible to temperature
changes.
Lengthy procedure to cleanse
secondary toxic protein, sericin, which mediates macrophage response.
Nonadhesive.
Chitosan Derived from partial deacetylation
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of chitin found in crustacean exoskeletons, insects and fungal cell walls. Inherently insoluble at physiological pH but can be solubilized with glycerol phosphate. Can undergo temperature-controlled phase transition in the presence of phosphate salts.
Alginate Originates from seaweed,
structurally similar to natural glycosaminoglycans. Its inherent hydrophilicity and chemical functionalities permit in-solution electrostatic crosslinking to form macroscale scaffolds without covalent crosslinking.
Agarose Obtained from seaweed,
resemblance to ECM.
Biocompatible, biodegradable,
nontoxic, ability to condense DNA to form complexes, injectable, naturally cell­adhesive, can be used to form thermosensitive scaffold.
Biocompatible, low
immunogenicity, low manufacturing costs, nontoxic, suitable for cell encapsulation and controlled drug release.
High water uptake capability,
suitable for cell encapsulation and controlled/localized drug delivery.
Minimal inflammatory response,
stimulatory properties on macrophages, chemoattractive properties on neutrophils.
Nonbiodegradable but its
degradability can be modified, nonadhesive cell properties.
70 Khushbu Bhatt et al.
Synthetic polymers can be either biodegradable or nonbiodegradable. Commonly
used biodegradable synthetic polymers can be further classified according to their chem­ical compositions: (i) Polyesters—(i
) poly(α-hydroxy acids) such as poly(glycolic acid)
1
(PGA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and their copolymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), (i
) Polylactones such as poly(caprolactone) (PCL), (i3) Poly(propylene fuma-
2
rates) (PPF); (ii) Polyanhydrides; and (iii) Polyphosphazenes [40,42,50,52,53,56]. Whereas, examples of nonbiodegradable polymers include poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), polyisocyanate, poly(hydroxyalkyl methacrylate) (PHAM), poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK), poly(N­isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), poly(acrylonitrile-co-vinyl chloride) (PAN/PVC), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) (Table 2)
[40,42,50,53,56].
Nondegradable or biostable polymers are of particular interest for encapsulation, where their cargo is intended to be protected from the host immune system using a phys­ical membrane [50]. Polymeric membranes are designed to allow the passive diffusion of therapeutics, oxygen, nutrients, and waste products but not larger immunoglobulins [50]. For instance, transplanted immune cells can produce the relevant biomolecules for extended time while being protected from host immune responses [50]. This can counter the limitations of traditional protein delivery, including the need of administering mul­tiple doses [50]. Additionally, biostable polymers are employed in a matrix-like system for sustained drug delivery applications [54]. In this case, the drug is uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix and the release is governed by Fickian diffusion, thus providing a slow drug release [54]. Certain challenges remain, such as efficient cell encapsulation, maintaining long-term cell viability and function, and avoiding immunological rejection to the implanted biomaterial itself [50]. Another limitation is their long-term persistence in the body or the need to be chemically modified to ensure their clearance [56]. Exam­ples of nondegradable polymers include PAN/PVC, PVA, PHEMA, and PAA [50]. Whereas, PNIPAAm is a smart polymer that has been exploited for designing thermally responsive scaffolds and drug delivery systems [50]. PEG is another nondegradable, non­ionic, and minimally immunogenic polymer used for scaffold formation [41,58,59].Itis highly hydrophilic, exhibits excellent solubility properties and allows limited cell adhe­sion. Due to its protein-repellant feature, it can be utilized as an inert background that can be modified to include specific biological cues [56].
Polymeric scaffolds can also be described as surgically implantable or injectable. Implantable scaffolds are biomaterials that can be preloaded with desired therapeutic bio­molecules, and even cells, prior to insertion via a surgical procedure in a resected tissue or subcutaneous space [49]. Bioactive molecules can then be controllably released from the implanted porous polymeric scaffold to recruit immune cells, thus acting as durable depots [60,61]. This supports antigen presentation and regulates immune cell trafficking and programming. However, implantable polymeric constructs have certain
Table 2 Characteristics of synthetic polymers [41,50,52–57].
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Type Polymer Properties Advantages Disadvantages
Polyesters Poly(α-hydroxy acids) such as Hydrophobic and lack of
cellular interaction.
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) Hydrophobic polyester
formed from polymerization of
L-lactide obtained from
starch.
Biocompatible,
biodegradable, can be fabricated as injectable polymer.
Slow degradation rate (few
months), degrades into highly crystalline
L-isomer of lactic acid,
which induces inflammatory reactions. PLA is obtained as a combination of
L- and D-
isoforms which lacks crystallinity and is degraded more rapidly with better biocompatibility.
Poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) Highly crystalline and rigid
polymer.
Biocompatible,
biodegradable, strong mechanical properties.
Completely degraded
within several months in vivo into glycine which is excreted in the urine or is converted into water and carbon dioxide
). Hydrolytic
(CO
2
degradation of both PGA and PLA produces
, which lowers the
CO
2
pH and leads to tissue necrosis.
Continued
Table 2 Characteristics of synthetic polymers [41,50,52–57]contd Type Polymer Properties Advantages Disadvantages
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)
(PLGA)
Copolymer of PLA and
PGA polyesters. Higher ratio of PLA increases the solubility whereas increasing the ratio of PGA escalates the degradation rate.
Biocompatible, FDA
approved, faster and controllable degradation rate, can be customized with surface modifications, produces large pores that can be utilized for loading biomolecules and cells, strong mechanical
properties. Polylactones such as Polycaprolactone (PCL) Bioresorbable, semi-
crystalline polyester, superior blend compatibility and solubility characteristics, hydrophobic.
FDA approved,
biocompatible,
biodegradable, elastic,
high drug permeability,
produces less acidic
degradation products,
low cost. Poly(propylene fumarates)
(PPF)
Linear polyester, used to
increase the
Biodegradable, injectable,
high strength.
hydrophobicity of PLA, PGA, PCL.
Polyanhydrides Low hydrolytic stability Biocompatible, degrades
rapidly by surface
erosion, suitable for
short-term controlled
delivery system.
Polyphosphazenes Inorganic-organic hybrid
polymer
Structural adaptability,
control over degradation
and crystallinity.
Acidity of its byproducts
when produced in large quantities hampers rapid metabolization in the body. This can be addressed by using higher PGA content to simultaneously decrease the degradation rate and the production of acidic byproducts.
Hydrophobic, low cell-
adhesion properties, not suitable for short-term delivery applications due to its extremely slow degradation rate (2–4 years).
Nonadhesive
Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) Water-soluble, forms
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crystallizing hydrogels.
Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) Nonionic polymer,
extremely hydrophilic, excellent solubility, optimal physicochemical and biological properties.
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
(PNIPAAm)
Poly(2-hydroxyethyl
methacrylate) (PHEMA)
Poly(ethylene-vinyl-acetate)
(PEVA)
Undergoes sol-gel
transition with increasing temperatures. Combination of hydrophilic amide and hydrophobic isopropyl groups imparts temperature-responsive properties.
Thermoplastic copolymer
of ethylene and vinyl acetate (VA). VA content influences stiffness, crystallinity and melting point.
Biocompatible, nontoxic,
FDA approved, higher
elasticity, swelling
properties, bioadhesive.
Biocompatible, minimally
immunogenic.
Thermally reversible
Biocompatible, high
stability upon
implantation, soft,
tunable mechanical
properties.
FDA approved,
biocompatible, drug
release profile can be
tailored by changing the
vinyl acetate/ethylene
ratio.
Nonbiodegradable,
reduced protein binding tendency.
Nonbiodegradable,
protein-repellant, limited cell adhesion that can be modified with cell-adhesive peptides.
Nonbiodegradable
Nonbiodegradable