Boosting NK-cell therapy for soft tissue sarcoma using a dog model
Official title: Targeting MIC to Augment Adoptive NK Therapy Using the Canine Soft Tissue Sarcoma Model
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11299474 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project combines an antibody that soaks up a tumor-made immune blocker with natural killer (NK) cell therapy to help dogs and, eventually, people with soft tissue sarcoma fight their tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $657,844 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA290719-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299474 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal future human candidates would be people with MIC-expressing soft tissue sarcoma who are eligible for adoptive NK-cell therapy, while the current work enrolls dogs at participating veterinary centers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not express MIC, those with cancer types very different from soft tissue sarcoma, or those needing immediate standard-of-care therapy may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will combine an anti-MIC antibody (B10G5) with adoptive NK-cell therapy to make NK cells more active against soft tissue sarcoma. Because mice lack the MIC gene, the team will use pet dogs with naturally occurring soft tissue sarcomas as a more relevant model for human disease. They will measure tumor shrinkage, NK-cell activity, and changes in the tumor immune environment, and test whether low-dose IL-2 improves NK function. If the combination shows safety and stronger anti-tumor effects in dogs, the approach could move toward early human trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make NK-cell immunotherapy more effective against soft tissue sarcoma and possibly other solid tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior preclinical studies by this team and others show anti-MIC antibodies can revive NK and T cell activity, but translating NK-cell approaches into effective treatments for human solid tumors remains largely unproven and this combined strategy is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pollack, Seth M — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Pollack, Seth M
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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.