Blocking CD93 to help immune cells reach melanoma tumors
The CD93 pathway and melanoma therapy
This project is trying to block a blood-vessel protein called CD93 so immune cells can enter melanoma tumors and make immunotherapy work better for people with advanced melanoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11237157 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have melanoma, researchers are studying a protein called CD93 that is increased on blood vessels inside tumors. In mice and in human tumor samples they will block the CD93–IGFBP7 interaction to normalize abnormal tumor blood vessels, reduce low-oxygen areas, and improve tumor blood flow. They will measure whether these changes let CD8+ immune cells enter tumors and whether that overcomes resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. The work combines laboratory animal experiments with analysis of human tumor tissues to understand if targeting CD93 could support better responses to cancer immunotherapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with advanced or metastatic melanoma, especially those who have not responded well to anti-PD-1 or other checkpoint inhibitor therapies, would be the most likely candidates for related future trials.
Not a fit: Patients with non-melanoma cancers or those whose tumors already have strong T cell infiltration or different resistance mechanisms may not benefit from CD93-targeting approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help more people with melanoma respond to immunotherapy by improving immune cell access to tumors.
How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown that normalizing tumor blood vessels can improve immune cell entry and boost immunotherapy in animal studies, but targeting CD93 is a newer approach that remains mainly preclinical.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhu, Yuwen — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Zhu, Yuwen
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.