BAFF-R CAR T cells to treat B-ALL
Official title: BAFF-R CAR T cell therapy for ALL
Funded at Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope · NIH-11307086 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new targeted CAR T-cell therapy against BAFF-R is being studied to help children and adults with B-ALL who have limited options after relapse or resistance to current treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Duarte, United States) |
| Project start | April 18, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $677,623 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269569-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307086 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with B-ALL (including CD19-negative cases) who have relapsed after or failed standard therapies and are eligible for CAR T-cell treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without B-ALL or those who are not candidates for cellular therapies would not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing CAR T cells that target BAFF-R, a protein on B cells including many B-ALL cancer cells. Researchers will test these BAFF-R-directed T cells in preclinical models and translate promising results toward patients who have relapsed or are resistant to existing therapies. The work aims to overcome antigen loss seen with CD19 or CD22 therapies by offering an alternative target. The project is led by Xiuli Wang at Beckman Research Institute/City of Hope and runs from 2022 to 2027 with federal support to advance toward clinical evaluation. The ultimate goal is to provide a safer, more effective option for both pediatric and adult B-ALL patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, BAFF-R CAR T cells could provide a new treatment avenue for patients with relapsed or refractory B-ALL, potentially improving response rates and durability.
How similar studies have gone: Existing CAR T approaches targeting CD19/CD22 show benefit but face antigen escape; BAFF-R–targeted CAR T cells have shown in vivo activity in CD19-negative models, representing a novel and promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
Duarte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Xiuli — Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
- Study coordinator: Wang, Xiuli
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.