Intravesical Chitosan IL-12 Therapy in an Orthotopic Mouse Bladder Cancer Model

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This SBIR project brings together the skills and resources of laboratories at Scion Cardio-Vascular Inc. (Scion C-V), Loma Linda University, and North Carolina State University to advance a new signaling molecule treatment for superficial bladder cancer. This treatment delivers the cytokine Interleukin 12 (IL-12) to the bladder wall using Scion C-V's mucoadherent, depyrogenated chitosan (Ch) hydrogel (Ch+IL-12) as the vehicle. Therapeutic effectiveness of the depyrogenated Ch+IL-12 hydrogel will be studied in a relevant mouse bladder cancer model, replicating the pre-clinical studies performed at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI studies showed remarkable cures of bladder cancer in a mouse model treated with intravesicular Ch+IL- 12. The NCI was preparing to test treatment of superficial bladder cancer with Ch+IL-12 in a controlled clinical trial but cancelled the study because of widespread pyrogen contamination in commercially available medical grade c