Customizable Lyophilized Agent for Radiotherapy Imaging and TherapY (CLARITY)

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Radiotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Smart radiotherapy biomaterials (SRBs) combine fiducial marker functions with therapeutic drug delivery.
• Current SRBs face limitations in point-of-care customization and multimodal imaging capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel Customizable Lyophilized Agent for Radiotherapy Imaging and TherapY (CLARITY) biomaterial.
• To evaluate CLARITY's potential as a fiducial marker with imaging contrast capabilities.
• To assess the therapeutic efficacy of CLARITY loaded with immunoadjuvants in a pancreatic cancer model.

Main Methods:

• CLARITY biomaterial was developed and loaded with immunoadjuvants (anti-CD40 antibody or Caflanone).
• The biomaterial's imaging contrast was evaluated using CT and MRI in a mouse model and human cadavers.
• Survival rates were assessed in C57BL6 mice with pancreatic cancer treated with CLARITY and immunoadjuvants.

Main Results:

• CLARITY provided imaging contrast comparable to fiducials for up to 30 days post-treatment in CT and MRI.
• Significant survival increase (p = 0.0006) was observed in mice treated with CLARITY loaded with immunoadjuvants for 10 weeks.
• The biomaterial demonstrated potential for point-of-care customization and multimodal imaging.

Conclusions:

• CLARITY biomaterial shows promise as a multifunctional tool for combination radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
• Its ability to serve as a fiducial marker and deliver therapeutic payloads warrants further development.
• CLARITY represents a potential point-of-care technology to enhance cancer treatment outcomes.