Changing the glioblastoma tumor environment to boost immune therapy
Official title: Reprogramming the tumormicroenvironment to improve immunotherapy of glioblastoma
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11294306 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether blocking Wnt signaling together with PD‑1 immunotherapy can help people with glioblastoma by reducing immune‑suppressing cells and increasing tumor‑fighting immune cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $379,634 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269672-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294306 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with glioblastoma (newly diagnosed or recurrent) who might be eligible for trials combining Wnt pathway inhibitors with PD‑1 blockers would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without glioblastoma, or whose tumors lack Wnt pathway activity or who cannot tolerate immunotherapy or Wnt inhibitors, may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are combining a drug that blocks Wnt signaling (a porcupine inhibitor) with anti‑PD‑1 immunotherapy to reshape the immune environment inside glioblastoma tumors. They will study how this combination changes key immune cells such as dendritic cells and myeloid‑derived suppressor cells using lab models and human tumor samples. The team will compare tumors that respond versus those that resist the treatment to identify mechanisms of resistance and potential biomarkers. Findings aim to guide future clinical trials that could personalize immunotherapy for glioblastoma patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make immunotherapy work for more glioblastoma patients and potentially extend survival.
How similar studies have gone: Immune checkpoint blockers alone have failed in phase III glioblastoma trials, but early preclinical mouse and lab studies combining a Wnt inhibitor with anti‑PD‑1 showed promising survival and immune changes, so this approach is novel with encouraging preclinical support.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jain, Rakesh K. — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Jain, Rakesh K.
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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.