SIO Locoregional Immunotherapy Delivery With Lipiodol Research Proposals
Submission Deadline: 7 April 2025, Midnight ET
Selected award winner notification: Anticipated May 2025
Award presentations: February 2026 | SIO Annual Scientific Meeting, Savannah, GA
For administration questions contact grants@sio-central.org For proposal inquiries contact Grants Subcommittee Chair Dr. Christopher Malone.
Purpose
The Society of Interventional Oncology and Guerbet are pleased to explore research investigation on the topic of Lipiodol-mediated locoregional delivery of immunotherapeutics. These grants are designed to fund investigator-initiated research evaluating and advancing the use of Lipiodol as a carrier for the locoregional, image-guided delivery of immunotherapy to solid tumors.
Over the past decade, there has been transformative progress in utilizing immunotherapy for treating cancer, namely in the form of systemically administered immune checkpoint inhibitors. Despite these gains, dose limiting systemic toxicities remain and less than half of patients with solid tumors have a meaningful clinical response. A central theme underlying these challenges is the existence of immunosuppressive barriers and insufficient penetration and accumulation of immunotherapeutics in solid tumors.
Despite innovations in engineering to enhance solid tumor uptake of systemically-administered therapeutics (e.g. receptor-based tumor targeting, nanoparticles, controlled release systems, engineered cells, etc…), actual tumor accumulation remains less than 1% of injected dose and have yet to demonstrate clinical superiority over conventional formulations. Interventional Oncology can highly impact this field through its ability to use minimally invasive treatments to target tumors through transarterial or percutaneous means. Over the past several decades, Lipiodol has enjoyed success as a drug carrier of chemotherapeutics in conventional transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Its versatility if further illustrated in contemporary use as a carrier for the monomeric glycoprotein granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in transarterial immunoembolization of uveal melanoma liver metastases.
This grant call invites pre-clinical and translational proposals advancing Lipiodol as a novel platform for image-guided locoregional delivery of immunotherapeutics in cancer. The role and formulation of these novel platforms to promote productive immune-modulation is also emphasized. Please note, proposals centered on investigating conventional TACE with chemotherapeutics in its current clinical form are not responsive to this initiative. In addition, this call does not support clinical trials. Examples of the types of projects responsive to this initiative include, but are not limited to:
- Transarterial or percutaneous delivery of currently used or novel immune checkpoint inhibitors (i.e. CTLA-4, PD-1, and/or PD-L1 inhibitors) to tumors utilizing Lipiodol as a carrier agent. Investigations of biodistribution, toxicity, and anti-tumor efficacy in immunocompetent animal models are emphasized. Utilizing agents already approved for treatment of HCC (i.e. atezolizumab, tremelimumab, durvalumab, etc..) is encouraged. Investigations would ideally center on pre-clinical animal models recapitulating current clinical needs, such as (but not limited to) primary or secondary liver cancer.
- The development and characterization of immunologically cold/suppressed tumor bearing animal models amenable to locoregional delivery (either percutaneous or transarterial) of therapeutics. These models would ideally address the unmet need of recapitulating tumor microenvironments that are resistant to traditional immunotherapies either through structural (i.e. stromal) or functional (i.e. immunosuppressive myeloid cell infiltration) barriers
- Biocompatibility and stability of Lipiodol emulsions with small molecular, antibody-based, or nucleic acid-based immunotherapeutics including, but not limited to, immune checkpoint inhibitors, Toll-like receptor or STING agonists, or mRNA or other nucleotide based therapies. These investigations would establish optimal Lipiodol formulations suitable for sustained release and bioavailability with existing or novel immunotherapeutics.
- The interaction and effect of Lipiodol alone on the systemic immune system and local tumor immune microenvironment components.
- Investigations utilizing local delivery of potentially highly effective immune modulating agents that are otherwise toxic when systemically delivered (i.e. TLR agonists) is of high interest. The effects and potential enhancement of concurrently systemically administered immunotherapy is also of interest.
- Investigations utilizing theranostic approaches (i.e. immunoPET) is of particular interest.
- The role of Lipiodol as a carrier for cell based immunotherapeutics, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T or dendritic cells, or synthetic antigen presenting cells.
- Investigations also exploring the use of Lipiodol as a theranostic imaging biomarker for local immunotherapy delivery within the aforementioned topics is encouraged.
Applicants should propose innovative research that broadens the concept of locoregional delivery of immunotherapeutics, advancing the fields of interventional oncology and immuno-oncology. Preliminary data are strongly encouraged. Partnership of interventional oncologists with basic scientists in immuno-biology, pathology, genetics and biomedical imaging are highly encouraged. Proposals that describe short timelines for completion of high-quality studies and dissemination of results will be preferred. Proposals from applicants new to the SIO grant program will be given special consideration. This announcement does not accept clinical trials or proposals centered around use of conventional TACE utilizing chemotherapeutics or macroembolic treatments alone.
Award Information
Grant funding of up to two (2) $130,000 for one-year projects with preliminary data will be provided. If the grant proposal represents supplemental funding to existing projects, clear justification for additional funding must be provided.
Eligibility
Grants are available to full-time interventional radiology faculty, full-time allied science faculty and trainees with an MD, DO, PhD, or equivalent degree. This announcement will consider applications for United States and international submissions. This announcement does not accept clinical trials. Collaboration between an interventional oncologist and field experts having documented experience in immunotherapy and / or basic research in tumor immunology / biology are required. Likewise, full-time immuno-oncologists and basic researchers are encouraged to apply – provided documented collaboration with an interventional oncologist.
- Post- doctorate candidates are invited to apply.
- Allied Scientists are encouraged to apply.
- Women and underrepresented minorities are encouraged to apply.
- Current recipients of SIO grants will not be considered.
- Eligible applicants may submit more than one proposal but only one grant will be awarded per institution.
All funded applicants must become members of SIO if they are not already members upon award acceptance. The initiation of funding is conditional on submission of required grant agreements and documentation of IRB and/or IACUC. The transfer of the second payment is conditional on the submission of a 6 month progress report, and the third milestone payment is conditioned on the following: oral presentation of the preliminary data during the dedicated grant session at the SIO 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting held in Savannah, GA, USA, 3 February- 9 February, 2026, and submission of the final project report.
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