Creating customizable immune cells for cancer treatment

Programmable Off-the-Shelf Dendritic Cells as an Immunotherapy Discovery Platform

NIH-funded research New York University · NIH-10897802

This study is working on creating special immune cells that can be used to help fight cancer by teaching your body to recognize and attack tumor cells, making it easier for more patients to benefit from treatment without needing to customize it for each person.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNew York University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-10897802 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on developing programmable dendritic cells that can be engineered to present specific tumor antigens to T cells, enhancing the immune response against various cancers. By overcoming the limitations of current adoptive cell immunotherapy, which often relies on patient-specific T cells, this project aims to create 'off-the-shelf' dendritic cells that can be used broadly across different patients. The approach involves generating these cells to match diverse human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types, allowing for a wider range of patients to benefit from immunotherapy. This innovative platform could also serve as a living vaccine, training the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are patients with solid tumors who may benefit from enhanced immune responses through adoptive cell immunotherapy.

Not a fit: Patients with cancers that do not express tumor-specific antigens or those who are not eligible for immunotherapy may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve cancer treatment options by providing a more accessible and effective immunotherapy for a larger patient population.

How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown promise in using dendritic cells for immunotherapy, but this approach of creating programmable, off-the-shelf dendritic cells is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

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 below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.