Boosting the immune response inside glioblastoma tumors
Regulating the glioma immune microenvironment
This research looks at whether a molecule called CXCL14 can bring immune cells into glioblastoma tumors to help patients fight the cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306025 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will compare human glioma samples that naturally have many immune cells with those that have few to understand differences in the tumor immune environment. They will study how the tumor-secreted chemokine CXCL14 affects movement and activity of CD8 T cells and macrophages using molecular profiling of patient tumors and laboratory models. Mouse models that mimic the immune-poor features of human GBM will be used to test whether increasing CXCL14 can change the tumor environment. The team combines human tissue analysis and preclinical experiments to see if CXCL14 can overcome immune suppression in GBM.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with glioblastoma or other high-grade gliomas, especially tumors with RAF-driven features or immune-depleted profiles, are most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: People without glioblastoma (for example, those with non-glioma brain conditions or unrelated cancers) are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to recruit immune cells into glioblastoma and make immunotherapies more effective for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Immunotherapies have had limited success in glioblastoma so far, and using CXCL14 to recruit CD8 T cells is a relatively new and unproven approach in patients.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Phillips, Joanna — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Phillips, Joanna
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.