Engineered T cells with built-in feedback to fight solid tumors
Engineering synthetic feedback control in T cell signaling for anti-tumor immunity
This project builds engineered T cells with internal feedback controls to help people with solid tumors keep their immune cells active longer against cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11394050 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will design synthetic feedback circuits that tune T cell signaling so the cells stay active without becoming exhausted from continuous tumor stimulation. They will build these circuits into engineered T cells and test how well they maintain anti-tumor functions in laboratory models and preclinical systems. The work will use molecular and cellular assays to measure signaling, chromatin accessibility, and effector responses, and will iterate designs to find optimal signal set points. The aim is to create T cells that persist and control tumors more effectively than current approaches.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with solid tumors that are resistant to current therapies and who might be eligible for future engineered T cell clinical trials would be the likely candidates.
Not a fit: People with cancers already well controlled by existing treatments or whose tumors lack the target antigens for the engineered cells may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make engineered T cell therapies more effective against solid tumors by preventing immune exhaustion and prolonging anti-tumor activity.
How similar studies have performed: Engineered T cells have achieved strong results in blood cancers, and early preclinical work suggests that strategies to reduce exhaustion can improve control of solid tumors, but translating this into durable human therapies remains novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kueh, Hao Yuan — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Kueh, Hao Yuan
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.