CXCR6+ T-cells and ICI-related heart inflammation
Official title: Role of CXCR6+ T-cells in ICI myocarditis
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11372385 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A physician-scientist at UC San Francisco is studying how specific heart-damaging immune cells (CXCR6+ T-cells) contribute to dangerous heart inflammation caused by cancer immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | June 8, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $163,188 |
| NIH project number | 1K08HL181180-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372385 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancer who will be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and who have or are at risk for myocarditis.
✕Less likely to help
This project is preclinical and non-human studies are unlikely to directly benefit individual patients in the short term.
What this research studies
This project looks at why immune checkpoint inhibitors, a cancer treatment, can cause myocarditis by focusing on CXCR6+ T-cells that accumulate in the heart. The work uses mouse models with genetic alterations and analyzes heart tissue with single-cell RNA sequencing to identify T-cell subtypes and interactions with CXCL16. The goal is to see whether CXCR6+ T-cells are required for disease and how CXCR6-CXCL16 signals might drive heart inflammation, potentially guiding safer cancer therapies. Outcomes could point to new targets to prevent or treat ICI-related myocarditis in patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to strategies that reduce heart inflammation in patients receiving ICIs, improving safety and outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in similar models show CXCR6-related pathways can influence T-cell behavior and inflammation, suggesting a plausible therapeutic direction.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Munir, Amir — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Munir, Amir
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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.