Coordinating team and training support for combined light-based and immunotherapy cancer work
Core A: Administration, Integration, Education and Career Development
This project looks at whether a light-based tumor priming approach used with immune checkpoint drugs can help people with cancer respond better to immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195105 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, this program combines light-activated tumor priming (photodynamic priming) with immune checkpoint drugs to try to make tumors more visible to the immune system. Researchers will use imaging and molecular tests to time and guide the light-based treatment and then monitor how tumors and immune cells respond. The Administrative Core coordinates multiple labs and clinical sites, manages data and quality control, and supports training and career development for the team. The goal is to speed promising lab findings toward clinical trials where patients could be invited to participate at participating centers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with solid tumors being considered for immune checkpoint therapy—especially those whose tumors are resistant or show low immune activity—are the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People with cancers not amenable to light-based treatments (for example many blood cancers) or those unable to undergo photodynamic procedures may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make some tumors that currently do not respond to immunotherapy become treatable and allow effective responses at lower, more tolerable drug doses.
How similar studies have performed: Early laboratory studies and small clinical efforts suggest photodynamic approaches can boost immune responses, but using them to convert checkpoint-resistant tumors is still largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hasan, Tayyaba — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Hasan, Tayyaba
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.