CAR T therapy for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) targeting B7-H3
Official title: Project 4: Activity of CAR T cell Therapy for Patients with Metastatic TNBC
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11411402 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new therapy using patient's own CAR T cells to fight metastatic TNBC by targeting the B7-H3 protein.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 1997 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $365,306 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA058223-31 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411402 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with metastatic TNBC who consent to an autologous CAR T cell therapy and can tolerate lymphocyte collection and conditioning.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-TNBC cancers or those unable to undergo CAR T cell therapy may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This grant supports a first-in-human study where patients with metastatic TNBC would receive autologous CAR T cells engineered to recognize B7-H3. The project also includes preclinical work to test a dual CAR approach against B7-H3 and CSPG4, plus strategies to improve CAR T cell trafficking across the blood-brain barrier. Researchers will explore how the tumor environment and brain metastases affect CAR T cell function and try to overcome these barriers. The work combines clinical and animal studies to advance a targeted immunotherapy for a difficult-to-treat breast cancer subset.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with metastatic TNBC may gain a new, targeted treatment option that can reach tumors in the brain.
How similar studies have gone: CAR T cells targeting solid tumors have shown promise in preclinical and early clinical studies, but challenges remain, making this an exploratory and potentially breakthrough effort.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dotti, Gianpietro — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Dotti, Gianpietro
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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.