Combinatorial Pulsed Field Ablation for Solid Tumors
Official title: Combinatorial Pulsed Field Alation for the Treatment of Solid Tumors
Funded at North Carolina State University Raleigh · NIH-11277303 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new, minimally invasive treatment uses ultrashort electrical pulses to ablate solid tumors near critical organs, aiming to destroy cancer cells while protecting nearby tissues and boosting the body’s immune response.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina State University Raleigh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Raleigh, United States) |
| Project start | May 22, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $590,791 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA308060-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11277303 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with inoperable solid tumors where ablation is considered but proximity to vital structures limits options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with tumors not suited to electrical ablation or with contraindications to the procedure may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores INSPIRE, a non-thermal tumor ablation method that delivers brief electrical pulses to disrupt cancer cell membranes while sparing nearby vessels and organs. By varying energy delivery and pulse parameters, researchers aim to trigger immune-friendly cell death and improve long-term tumor control. The work will be conducted in preclinical and early translational settings to understand how different pulse patterns influence tumor destruction and immune activation. If successful, the approach could complement existing ablation techniques and potentially reduce recurrence in inoperable solid cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve local tumor control and stimulate anti-tumor immunity, potentially extending survival and reducing collateral damage.
How similar studies have gone: Similar energy-delivery ablation methods have shown promise in enabling immune responses, but INSPIRE represents a novel parameter-space exploration still under investigation.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina State University Raleigh
Raleigh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sano, Michael Benjamin — North Carolina State University Raleigh
- Study coordinator: Sano, Michael Benjamin
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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.