NIH-funded research NIH-funded research

CD2-targeted CAR-T therapy for T-cell lymphoma in a multi-center program

Official title: Project 2: CAR-T cell therapy for T cell lymphoma

Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11418402 · Data updated 2026-11-12

A patient-focused overview of a research grant that aims to improve CAR-T cell therapy for T-cell lymphoma by exploring CD2 as a new target and enhancing allogeneic CAR-T safety features.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionBaylor College of Medicine
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Houston, United States)
Project startSeptember 11, 2007
Project endAugust 31, 2027
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$489,036
NIH project number5P50CA126752-20
Project IDNIH-11418402 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Adults with T-cell lymphoma who express CD2 or related targets may be eligible for future studies.

Less likely to help

Patients whose disease does not involve T-cell lymphoma or CD2-targetable biology may not benefit.

What this research studies

This grant supports work at Baylor College of Medicine to advance CAR-T therapy for T-cell lymphoma. It includes studying how drugs like dasatinib and ibrutinib affect the manufacturing of CD5 CAR T cells, and developing a non-alloreactive allogeneic CAR-T platform with an alloimmune defense receptor. After licensing the CD5 approach to a startup, the team shifted focus to CD2 as a promising target because many relapsed tumors still express CD2. The project explores how to maximize T-cell activation while preventing immune rejection in patients who need new treatment options. Overall, the work seeks to translate laboratory findings into safer and more effective cellular therapies for people with T-cell malignancies.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to safer, more effective CAR-T therapies for T-cell lymphoma, including options that work even after relapse.

How similar studies have gone: Previous CAR-T approaches have shown promise in T-cell cancers, with ongoing trials in related targets; this project builds on prior positive signals but explores novel CD2 strategies.

Where this research is happening

  • Baylor College of Medicine
    Houston, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Brenner, Malcolm K. — Baylor College of Medicine
  • Study coordinator: Brenner, Malcolm K.

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

  • CD5 CAR-T therapy for T-cell lymphoma shows promise in a multi-center trial

    A phase 2 study tests a CD5-targeted CAR-T cell therapy in people with relapsed or refractory T-cell lymphoma to see if it can improve outcomes.

    NIH research March Biosciences INC · Houston, United States · NIH-11370276

  • CD5 CAR‑T treatment for relapsed or hard‑to‑treat T‑cell lymphoma

    This project is trying CD5‑targeted CAR‑T cell therapy, including faster off‑the‑shelf products, to help people with relapsed or refractory T‑cell lymphoma get better responses.

    NIH research Baylor College of Medicine · Houston, United States · NIH-11178348

  • IL-15 and skin-homing CTCL: a targeted approach to curb skin lesions

    This grant studies how the inflammatory signal IL-15 drives CTCL T cells to settle in the skin and how blocking this pathway might help patients with this skin-limited leukemia.

    NIH research Thomas Jefferson University · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11370320

  • Staphylococcus aureus and CTCL: How skin bacteria may drive a blood cancer

    A doctor-scientist team is studying how certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin might influence the development and progression of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients.

    NIH research New York University School of Medicine · New York, United States · NIH-11326309

  • How a rare intestinal T‑cell lymphoma begins

    This project will test whether losing the SETD2 gene and turning on certain cancer genes causes a rare intestinal T‑cell lymphoma and makes it more sensitive to chemotherapy for people with MEITL.

    NIH research Duke University · Durham, United States · NIH-11251241

  • Understanding how IL-15 affects T-cell lymphoma in the skin

    This research explores how a specific signal, called IL-15, helps T-cell lymphoma cells move to and grow in the skin, aiming to find new ways to help patients with this condition.

    NIH research Thomas Jefferson University · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11138570

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.