Blood test to spot immune patterns linked to checkpoint therapy resistance
Understanding Immunotype, a Novel Biomarker for Checkpoint Blockade Resistance
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · NIH-11248758
This project looks for a blood-based immune signature that flags cancer patients unlikely to benefit from PD-1/CTLA-4 immune checkpoint drugs.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (FARMINGTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11248758 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you have cancer and are about to get checkpoint immunotherapy, researchers will analyze a small tube of your blood taken before treatment using advanced immune cell profiling. They focus on a pattern called Immunotype-1 (IT-1), which includes certain exhausted CD8 T cells (for example, LAG-3+ CD8+ cells) that were linked to poor responses. The team has already tested this pattern in melanoma and validated it in metastatic urothelial cancer and will now test whether IT-1 works across many cancer types using a large biobank of over 600 patient blood samples. The goal is to see if this simple blood signature can reliably signal when checkpoint drugs are unlikely to help so patients can consider other options sooner.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are cancer patients who are planning to receive or have just been prescribed PD-1 or CTLA-4 checkpoint therapy and can provide a pretreatment blood sample.
Not a fit: Patients who are not receiving checkpoint inhibitors or who cannot provide pretreatment blood samples are unlikely to benefit from joining this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help patients avoid ineffective and toxic checkpoint treatments and guide them to better options earlier.
How similar studies have performed: Related studies have identified blood immune signatures and the IT-1 pattern was validated in an independent urothelial cancer dataset, but broader pan-cancer use is still being tested.
Where this research is happening
FARMINGTON, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT — FARMINGTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: CALLAHAN, MARGARET KATHLEEN — UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT
- Study coordinator: CALLAHAN, MARGARET KATHLEEN
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.