Dendritic cell immunotherapy for breast cancer that has spread to the membranes around the brain and spine
Remodeling the Immune Landscape in Breast Cancer Leptomeningeal Disease Using Dendritic Cell Therapy is an Effective Treatment and Protects Against Disease Recurrence.
This work offers a vaccine-like dendritic cell treatment for people with HER2-positive or triple-negative breast cancer that has spread to the membranes around the brain and spine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247571 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will collect a type of immune cell called conventional Type I dendritic cells, prime them with pieces of HER2 and HER3 proteins, and deliver them into the cerebrospinal fluid to teach the immune system to attack tumor cells in the leptomeninges. In mice, intrathecal delivery of these primed dendritic cells prolonged survival, produced cures in many animals, and created immune memory that protected against tumor recurrence. The approach appears to work by activating CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ T cell responses and will be translated into a first-in-person clinical effort for patients with leptomeningeal breast cancer. Study procedures will include spinal delivery of the therapy and close follow-up to monitor safety and immune effects.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with HER2-positive or triple-negative breast cancer that has spread to the leptomeninges and who are medically eligible for intrathecal immune therapy would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients without leptomeningeal disease, those with other breast cancer subtypes, or people with severe immune suppression or medical conditions that prevent spinal injections are unlikely to benefit from this therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could control leptomeningeal breast cancer, extend survival, and reduce the chance of the disease coming back by producing lasting immune memory.
How similar studies have performed: Previous systemic dendritic cell vaccines have produced immune responses and occasional remissions in breast cancer, and this intrathecal cDC1 approach showed strong cures in animal models, making the translation to leptomeningeal disease novel but grounded in earlier successes.
Where this research is happening
Tampa, United States
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst — Tampa, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Forsyth, Peter Alexander — H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Ctr & Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Forsyth, Peter Alexander
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.