Better blood tests to track immune response during cancer treatment
Optimization of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) processing for robust downstream functional immune cell analysis and correlation with therapeutic efficacy
This project improves how blood cells are handled so doctors can more reliably track immune responses in people getting cancer treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Cincinnati NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266140 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would give routine blood samples before, during, and after cancer treatment so researchers can study immune cells called PBMCs. The team will compare different ways of collecting and processing those blood cells to find methods that keep the cells alive and functioning best for lab tests like cell killing and movement. They will link those lab results to how people respond to therapies, especially immunotherapy, to identify blood-based markers that reflect treatment effect. The researchers plan to create practical processing steps that other clinics can use to make blood-based immune tests more reliable.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with solid tumors who can give blood samples before and during their cancer therapy, particularly those receiving immunotherapy.
Not a fit: People without cancer, those not receiving treatments where immune monitoring matters, or those who cannot safely give blood are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make blood tests a reliable way to monitor and predict how well cancer treatments, especially immunotherapies, are working without repeated tissue biopsies.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior work shows promising blood-based immune markers, but standardized PBMC processing for functional assays is still limited and this effort seeks to address that gap.
Where this research is happening
Cincinnati, United States
- University of Cincinnati — Cincinnati, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wise-Draper, Trisha M — University of Cincinnati
- Study coordinator: Wise-Draper, Trisha M
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 below.