Engineered immune cells that activate only inside breast tumors
Official title: Computationally designed, small molecule-responsive cell receptors for treating solid tumors
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11314563 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops CAR T cells that switch on only when they detect both tumor proteins and tumor chemicals, aiming to attack breast tumors while sparing healthy tissue.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $164,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EB035208-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11314563 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with solid breast tumors that express the targeted surface protein and who might be eligible for future CAR T–based trials would be the likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not express the specific surface protein or lack the tumor chemical signature targeted, and those needing immediate standard care, are unlikely to benefit directly from this early-stage work.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one have breast cancer, this project aims to create engineered immune cells that only turn on inside the tumor environment. The researchers design a split, logic-gated receptor system with two parts: one that senses small molecules common in tumors and another that binds a tumor surface protein, and the two must come together to activate the cell. The team will build these receptors and test them in lab-grown breast cancer cells and tumor models to show they can produce local cytokines and adhesion proteins and avoid activating outside the tumor. The goal is to reduce off-tumor attack and T cell exhaustion that limit current CAR T approaches for solid tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let CAR T–style therapies attack solid breast tumors more safely and effectively with fewer side effects.
How similar studies have gone: CAR T therapies have been very successful for some blood cancers, but logic-gated or sensor-based CAR T approaches for solid tumors are largely preclinical and have not yet demonstrated clear clinical success.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Glasgow, Anum Azam — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Glasgow, Anum Azam
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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.