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Technologies 4

• DNA Nanoswitch Calipers for Single-Molecule Proteomics
  DNA nanoswitch calipers are a first-of-their-kind research tool that leverage DNA’s unique molecular qualities to study post-translational modifications on proteins to unlock a new frontier of medicine.
• DoriVac: DNA Origami-Based Vaccines for Combination Immunotherapy
  Personalized cancer and infectious disease vaccine platform harnessing DNA nanotechnology to control the co-delivery and co-presentation of tumor antigen and adjuvant ligands to immune cells with nanoscale precision. This approach has potential to trigger enhanced immune responses against tumors and infectious pathogens.
• Crisscross Nanoseed Detection: Nanotechnology-Powered Infectious Disease Diagnostics
  This nanotech-based diagnostic platform uses a unique nucleation mechanism that assembles a DNA "nanoseed" in the presence of a pathogen-derived biomarker that then is amplified within 15 minutes to create a signal for easy detection. It is highly robust, and cost-effective, and can be adapted to detect a variety of biomarkers.
• Implantable Cancer Vaccine
  The implantable cancer vaccine is an aspirin-sized disc that is implanted under the skin and serves as an artificial lymph node, recruiting and training a patient's own immune cells to find and kill their cancer cells. It was validated in a Phase I clinical trial at the Wyss Institute, and is currently being developed by Novartis to treat melanoma.

Collaborations 1

• i3 Center: Biomaterials to Create T Cell Immunity
  Cancer immunologists and biological engineers are developing new biomaterials-based approaches to develop new anti-cancer immunotherapies for treatment-resistant cancers.

News 21

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• Press Release
  
  Building protection against infectious diseases with nanostructured vaccines
  March 11, 2026
• Research Spotlights
  
  First-in-human clinical trial of personalized, biomaterial-based cancer vaccine demonstrates feasibility, safety, and immune activation
  December 10, 2025
• Translation News
  
  Attivare licenses Wyss Institute’s immune-modulating biomaterial technology to advance immunotherapies
  October 2, 2024

Multimedia 5

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  Video/Animation
  DoriNano – Improved DNA Origami Nanodelivery to Fight Cancer and Other Diseases
  We’re developing DNA Origami nanodelivery, which is transforming nanoparticle industry. Developed at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, this innovative approach overcomes the challenges of other nanoparticles, offering stability, high drug loading capacity, nano-scale control of cargo spacing, and more – making it a highly customizable solution for delivering...

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  Video/Animation
  Seed-dependent crisscross DNA-origami slats
  This animation explains how the newly invented crisscross origami method can be used to build functionalized micron-scale DNA megastructures composed of many unique DNA origami “slats,” each with their own complexity and interactive properties. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

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  Video/Animation
  DoriVac: Square Block DNA Origami Vaccine
  This animation explains how DoriVac leverages DNA origami nanotechnology and immune activators to stimulate stronger and long-lasting immune responses against cancer and potentially infectious diseases. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

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  Audio/Podcast
  Disruptive: Cancer Vaccine & Hydrogel Drug Delivery
  In this episode of Disruptive, Wyss Founding Core Faculty Member Dave Mooney discusses programmable nanomaterials approaches to fighting disease. Mooney explains how a cancer vaccine, developed by his team and currently in a clinical trial at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, can train one’s own immune system to target specific cancer cells. He also describes the...

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  Video/Animation
  Introduction to Implantable Cancer Vaccine
  What if we could prevent and treat cancer with a simple vaccine? Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University