2/12/2026 Jackson Brunner
Associate Professor Hua Wang has been awarded a 2026 Early Career Investigator Award from METAvivor for his pioneering research into next-generation exosome vaccines targeting metastatic breast cancer. Wang's innovative approach uses chemically modified tumor-secreted extracellular vesicles combined with click chemistry to trigger specific immune responses against cancer cells, offering new hope for patients living with the disease.
Written by Jackson Brunner
Associate Professor Hua Wang of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been awarded a 2026 Early Career Investigator Award from Metastatic Breast Cancer Research, Support and Advocacy (METAvivor) for pioneering research into next-generation exosome vaccines targeting metastatic breast cancer.
Why it matters: Wang's innovative approach offers new treatment options for patients living with metastatic breast cancer.
The big picture: METAvivor, an all-volunteer organization led by people living with metastatic breast cancer, has funded 230 grants totaling nearly $40.8 million since it was founded in 2009. The organization is committed to supporting investigators early in their careers to encourage them to stay in the field of metastasis research.
How it works: Wang's research uses chemically modified tumor-secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) combined with click chemistry technology to generate vaccines that trigger specific immune responses against cancer cells.
- The approach builds on successful preliminary data from lymphoma and melanoma models
- The technology conjugates adjuvants to tumor EVs to enhance immune recognition
- Clinical trial-tested components provide an encouraging safety profile
What they're saying: "This award represents not just recognition of innovative science, but hope for patients living with metastatic breast cancer," Wang said. "Our vaccine approach has the potential to work across different breast cancer subtypes, and we hope to comprehensively assess the efficacy and safety against metastatic breast cancer through this grant. My group has been working with several cancer patient advocates living with MBC, and we share the same mission of translating our vaccine platform into the clinic (and hopefully) to save more lives from MBC. I'm happy to join METAvivor's battle against metastatic breast cancer."
The human impact: During a recent lab visit to the Illinois campus, breast cancer survivors met with Wang and his research group. Materials Science and Engineering Department Head Nancy Sottos welcomed them, emphasizing the importance of Wang's work. One survivor was visibly moved to tears. Another told the group that Wang is giving them hope.
Between the lines: Grant application reviewers noted the conceptual challenge lies in whether breast tumor EVs contain sufficient neoantigens to generate effective immune responses, given that most breast tumors don't have high mutation loads compared to the melanoma models used in preliminary studies.
What's next: Wang's team will test the approach using mouse breast cancer cell lines and human breast tumor specimens to demonstrate feasibility specifically for breast cancer treatment.
The bottom line: Breakthrough approaches like Wang's vaccine technology are critical to developing new treatments for those living with metastatic breast cancer, with one clear goal: future deaths from the disease being reduced to zero.
Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Hua Wang is an Illinois Grainger Engineering assistant professor of materials science and engineering and is affiliated with the Cancer Center at Illinois, the Department of Bioengineering, the Materials Research Laboratory, the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the Carle Illinois College of Medicineand the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. He can be reached at huawang3@illinois.edu.