Barcoded tumor sequencing to map radiation-triggered immune effects in lung cancer
Official title: Tumor-barcoding coupled with high-throughput sequencing for quantitative radiogenomics of the abscopal response in NSCLC
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11467904 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses barcoded tumor models and sequencing to uncover how adding radiation to immunotherapy might spark whole-body immune attacks against non-small cell lung cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $658,606 |
| NIH project number | 7R01CA271540-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11467904 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with non-small cell lung cancer—particularly those whose tumors do not respond to current immunotherapies—would be the population likely to benefit from future trials informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers other than non-small cell lung cancer or those ineligible for radiation or immunotherapy may not benefit directly from the findings.
What this research studies
From a patient's view, researchers are creating many versions of lung tumors in the lab using genetically engineered mouse models and CRISPR so they can test lots of tumor types at once. Each tumor is given a DNA barcode so its fate can be tracked by deep sequencing after different treatments. The team combines targeted radiation with immunotherapy drugs and reads out which barcoded tumors shrink or trigger immune effects at distant sites (the abscopal response). The goal is to build a more accurate preclinical map of which radiation-plus-drug combos produce systemic anti-tumor immunity that might translate to people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to radiation and immunotherapy combinations that reliably trigger systemic immune responses and guide better clinical trials for hard-to-treat lung cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Tumor barcoding (Tuba-seq) is a relatively new method and prior preclinical models have rarely produced consistent abscopal responses, so this approach is novel rather than a well-established success.
Where this research is happening
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University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tran, Phuoc T. — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Tran, Phuoc T.
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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.