Blocking iRhom to improve colon cancer treatment
Official title: Targeting iRhom to Improve Colon Cancer Immunochemotherapy
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11257677 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try blocking a protein called iRhom to help chemotherapy and immune-based treatments work better for people with colorectal cancer that usually doesn't respond to immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | January 9, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $546,625 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA295774-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11257677 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with metastatic colorectal cancer—especially those with proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) or microsatellite-stable (MSS) tumors that do not respond to current immune checkpoint therapies—would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors already respond well to existing immunotherapies (for example dMMR/MSI-H tumors) or those with unrelated cancer types may not benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are focusing on a protein called iRhom that is often higher in colorectal tumors and tied to worse outcomes. They will study tumor data from patients and run lab and mouse experiments to see whether lowering or blocking iRhom boosts the effects of chemotherapy and immune therapies. The team will test drug combinations, measure tumor cell death and immune activity, and look for markers that predict response. Promising results could lead to future clinical trials where patients could be treated based on their tumor's iRhom status.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make chemo and immunotherapy work for many colorectal cancer patients who currently do not benefit from immune treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies in other cancers and in animal models have shown that lowering iRhom can slow tumor growth, but using iRhom blockade to boost immunochemotherapy in colorectal cancer is a newer, less-tested idea.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Song — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Li, Song
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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.