Boosting Natural Immunity for a Specific Type of Lung Cancer
Official title: Targeting LKB1-null lung adenocarcinoma with innate immune system
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11121840 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how the body's own immune system might fight a specific type of lung cancer that often doesn't respond to other treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | July 12, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $433,754 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA284648-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11121840 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but focuses on a type of lung cancer that is often smoking-related and resistant to current treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose lung cancer is not LKB1-mutant or who respond well to existing therapies may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
LKB1-mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common, smoking-related lung cancer that is hard to treat with existing therapies. Researchers noticed that in their special mouse models, female mice were more resistant to this type of cancer than male mice. This suggests that the natural, 'innate' immune system in females might be better at fighting these tumors. This project aims to uncover why these specific lung cancer cells are vulnerable to innate immunity and identify the exact immune cells responsible for this protection. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to new ways to activate the immune system to fight this challenging cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new immune-based treatments for LKB1-mutant lung adenocarcinoma, especially for patients who don't respond to current therapies.
How similar studies have gone: The observation of sex-biased resistance in mouse models is a novel finding that this project aims to explore further, building on existing knowledge of innate immunity.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhou, Wei — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Zhou, Wei
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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.