Blocking DHX9 to wake the immune system against small cell lung cancer
Official title: Targeting DHX9 to trigger viral mimicry and immunotherapy responsiveness in Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
Funded at Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr · NIH-11158849 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team will block a protein called DHX9 in small cell lung cancer to trigger virus-like signals in tumors so they may respond better to immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $649,679 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA283552-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11158849 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with small cell lung cancer, especially those whose tumors have not responded to current immunotherapies, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other cancer types or whose tumors lack the molecular features affected by DHX9 targeting may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers plan to block DHX9 in small cell lung cancer cells to cause buildup of double-stranded RNAs and RNA–DNA hybrids that mimic viral infection. They will study how this activates innate immunity and whether it turns immunologically 'cold' tumors into 'hot' ones that respond to immune checkpoint drugs. Experiments will use cancer cell lines, animal tumor models, and analysis of human tumor samples to measure immune activation and tumor response. Successful findings would support future clinical trials combining DHX9-targeting approaches with immunotherapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make immunotherapy effective for more people with small cell lung cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Other methods that trigger viral mimicry (for example, DNA methylation inhibitors) have shown preclinical promise and early clinical signals, but directly targeting DHX9 is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Canadas, Israel — Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Canadas, Israel
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeting DHX9 to boost viral-like immune response in Small Cell Lung Cancer
A scientist team is testing whether blocking a protein called DHX9 can make aggressive small cell lung cancer more visible to the immune system and more responsive to immunotherapy.
-
Using a new approach to enhance immune response in Small Cell Lung Cancer
This study is exploring a new way to boost immunotherapy for people with Small Cell Lung Cancer by targeting a protein called DHX9, which could help turn less responsive tumors into ones that the immune system can better fight.
-
Targeting GARP-TGFβ to Improve Immunotherapy in NSCLC
A new antibody approach aims to block a key TGFβ-related pathway in the tumor environment to help people with non-small cell lung cancer respond better to therapy.
-
Integrated blood and radiomics to guide immunotherapy in metastatic NSCLC
A research project aims to use blood tests and advanced imaging patterns to personalize first-line immunotherapy choices for people with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
-
Blocking a tumor pathway to boost immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer
This project will see if adding a drug that blocks the Hedgehog pathway to immune checkpoint therapy helps people with non-small cell lung cancer by restoring the immune system's CD8 T cells inside tumors.
-
Improving Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer with CT Scans
This work aims to find new ways to predict which non-small cell lung cancer patients will respond best to immunotherapy using information from their routine CT scans.
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.