Localized Delivery Strategies for Glioblastoma: Engineering Biomaterials for Immunotherapy and Gene Therapy

The complexity of glioblastoma demands innovative therapeutic strategies that are both targeted and multimodal. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of our lab’s ongoing efforts to develop localized delivery platforms that integrate gene therapy and immunotherapy for glioblastoma treatment.

We are engineering lipid and polymeric nanoparticles, including lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and PLGA-based systems, to deliver a diverse range of immunomodulatory payloads, such as self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccines, therapeutic oligonucleotides, and STING agonists. To enhance spatial precision and sustained release, these nanoparticles are incorporated into injectable hydrogel-based depots, enabling localized delivery directly at the tumor site.

By combining advanced biomaterials with potent gene-based immunotherapies, our goal is to reprogram the glioblastoma microenvironment and overcome barriers associated with systemic delivery. This talk will highlight our multidisciplinary strategies and early preclinical insights toward building more effective and localized treatment platforms for brain cancer.