Chest-delivered nanoparticle immunotherapy for malignant pleural effusion
Intrapleural immunotherapeutic nanoparticles for MPE treatment
This project uses nanoparticles injected into the chest to boost local immune attacks against malignant pleural effusion in people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11137620 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, researchers plan to deliver tiny particles into the pleural space (the area around the lungs) that carry a STING-activating drug to wake up the local immune system. The nanoparticles are designed to protect the drug from rapid breakdown so it can stimulate type I interferons and activate CD8 T cells near the tumor. The team aims to change the immune environment in the pleura from “cold” to “hot,” which may make other immunotherapies like checkpoint blockers work better. Early work is likely done in the lab and animal models with the goal of informing future treatments in patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with malignant pleural effusion caused by non-small cell lung cancer, especially those with limited options from surgery or systemic chemotherapy.
Not a fit: People without pleural effusion, with other cancer types, or who are medically unfit for intrapleural procedures are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce pleural tumor growth and fluid build-up, ease breathing and symptoms, and possibly extend survival by restoring local anti-tumor immunity.
How similar studies have performed: Prior intrapleural immunotherapies and early work with STING agonists have shown promise in preclinical studies and limited clinical testing, but effective, protected delivery of STING activators to the pleura is still novel.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhao, Dawen — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zhao, Dawen
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.