IP Library Granted Patent US 12,433,959
Granted Patent B2
US 12,433,959 · App. 17/281,014 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Injectable hydrogels for controlled release of immunomodulatory compounds

Inventors: Gillie A. Roth (Stanford, CA); Eric Andrew Appel (Stanford, CA); Mark Davis (Stanford, CA); Emily C. Gale (Stanford, CA); Santiago Correa (Stanford, CA)
Assignee: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
A61K47/6937A61K9/06A61K39/015A61K39/145A61K39/21A61K39/39A61P31/16A61P35/00A61K2039/54A61K2039/55577A61K2039/55588A61K2039/6093
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,433,959
App. No.
17/281,014
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An immunomodulatory delivery system includes a hydrogel, a first immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the cargo, and a second immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the hydrogel. The hydrogel includes a polymer non-covalently crossed-linked with a plurality of nanoparticles. The first immunomodulatory cargo is smaller than the second immunomodulatory cargo. A ratio of a diffusivity of the first immunomodulatory cargo through the hydrogel to a diffusivity of the second immunomodulatory cargo through the hydrogel is less than 3.

Claims (37)

1. A method comprising:

administering a vaccine delivery system to a subject, wherein the vaccine delivery system comprises:

a hydrogel comprising a hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative non-covalently cross-linked with a plurality of poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (lactic acid) (PEG-PLA) nanoparticles, wherein the hydrogel comprises about 1 wt % of the hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative and about 5 wt % of the PEG-PLA nanoparticles;

a first immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the hydrogel, the first immunomodulatory cargo comprising an immune-activating compound; and

a second immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the hydrogel, the second immunomodulatory cargo comprising an antigen,

wherein when the vaccine delivery system is administered to the subject, the hydrogel forms a depot that is configured to (1) recruit antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to infiltrate into the depot, (2) activate the infiltrating APCs with the immune-activating compound and the antigen while the infiltrating APCs are present within the depot, and (3) allow the activated infiltrating APCs to migrate out of the depot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigen comprises a protein.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigen comprises a subunit vaccine antigen.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the immune-activating compound comprises one or more of an adjuvant or a cytokine.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the immune-activating compound comprises the adjuvant and the adjuvant comprises a toll-like receptor agonist.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative is dodecyl-modified hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC-C 12 ).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel is shear-thinning.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first immunomodulatory cargo has a different molecular weight than the second immunomodulatory cargo.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a molecular weight of the first immunomodulatory cargo is at least 5 times greater than a molecular weight of the second immunomodulatory cargo, or wherein the molecular weight of the second immunomodulatory cargo is at least 5 times greater than the molecular weight of the first immunomodulatory cargo.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second immunomodulatory cargos are released from the hydrogel at substantially the same rate after the vaccine delivery system is administered.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigen is an antigen for an infectious disease or cancer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vaccine delivery system is administered to the subject a single time.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vaccine delivery system is administered to the subject via subcutaneous injection.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative is 5% to 30% modified with a hydrophobic moiety.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative is 10% to 15% modified with a dodecyl moiety.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PEG-PLA nanoparticles have a diameter within a range from 30 nm to 50 nm.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a diffusivity of the first immunomodulatory cargo through the hydrogel to a self-diffusivity of the hydrogel is less than 10.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a diffusivity of the second immunomodulatory cargo through the hydrogel to a self-diffusivity of the hydrogel is less than 10.

19. A vaccine delivery system comprising:

a hydrogel comprising a hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative non-covalently cross-linked with a plurality of poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (lactic acid) (PEG-PLA) nanoparticles, wherein the hydrogel comprises about 1 wt % of the hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative and about 5 wt % of the PEG-PLA nanoparticles;

a first immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the hydrogel, the first immunomodulatory cargo comprising an immune-activating compound; and

a second immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the hydrogel, the second immunomodulatory cargo comprising an antigen,

wherein the hydrogel is configured to form a depot in a subject that (1) recruits antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to infiltrate into the depot, (2) activates the infiltrating APCs with the immune-activating compound and the antigen while the infiltrating APCs are present within the depot, and (3) allows the activated infiltrating APCs to migrate out of the depot.

20. The vaccine delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the antigen comprises a protein.

21. The vaccine delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the antigen comprises a subunit vaccine antigen.

22. The vaccine delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the immune-activating compound comprises one or more of an adjuvant or a cytokine.

23. The vaccine delivery system of claim 22 , wherein the immune-activating compound comprises the adjuvant and the adjuvant comprises a toll-like receptor agonist.

24. The vaccine delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the hydrophobically-modified cellulose derivative is dodecyl-modified hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC-C 12 ).

25. The vaccine delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the hydrogel is shear-thinning.

26. The vaccine delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the first immunomodulatory cargo has a different molecular weight than the second immunomodulatory cargo.

27. The vaccine delivery system of claim 26 , wherein a molecular weight of the first immunomodulatory cargo is at least 5 times greater than a molecular weight of the second immunomodulatory cargo, or wherein the molecular weight of the second immunomodulatory cargo is at least 5 times greater than the molecular weight of the first immunomodulatory cargo.

28. The vaccine delivery system of claim 19 , wherein the first and second immunomodulatory cargos are configured to be released from the hydrogel at substantially the same rate when the vaccine delivery system is administered.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2021
From: AGMON, GILLIE; APPEL, ERIC ANDREW; GALE, EMILY C.; CORREA, SANTIAGO
To: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 055964/0140 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2021
From: DAVIS, MARK
To: HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 055964/0164 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2021
From: HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE
To: THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 055964/0184 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62739587 · Oct 1, 2018
Related Publication 20210338801A1 · Nov 4, 2021
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