Engineering immunogenic cell death to boost melanoma and kidney cancer therapy
Official title: Project III: Engineering immunogenic cell death in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11415156 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant supports research aimed at making melanoma and kidney cancer cells die in a way that triggers a stronger immune response in patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 16, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $504,450 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA274492-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415156 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with melanoma or renal cell carcinoma who may benefit from enhanced immunotherapy strategies and related future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not respond to immune-based strategies or who cannot receive immunotherapy may derive little or no benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are exploring how to induce immunogenic cell death in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma to enhance existing immunotherapies. The work focuses on controlling pathways like mitochondrial apoptosis and a form called mimptosis to provoke a more robust anti-tumor immune reaction. The team combines laboratory experiments and computational analysis to understand how cancer cells communicate danger signals to the immune system and how to translate this into better therapies for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve responses to immunotherapy and lead to longer-lasting cancer control for patients with melanoma and kidney cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Related research into immunogenic cell death and combining cell-death pathways with immunotherapy has shown promise in preclinical models and early clinical efforts.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheng, Emily H — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Cheng, Emily H
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Making melanoma and kidney cancer cell death trigger stronger immune responses
This project aims to reprogram how melanoma and renal cell carcinoma cells die so their death sparks a bigger immune attack and helps more patients benefit from immunotherapy.
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Creating new ways to trigger immune responses in melanoma and kidney cancer.
This study is looking at new ways to help people with melanoma and kidney cancer by using special treatments that boost the immune system, which might lead to better and longer-lasting results from their current therapies.
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Understanding how kidney cancer spreads to bone and how to fight it
A patient-focused look at how clear cell renal cell carcinoma spreads to bone and how new treatments might help people with advanced disease.
-
Improve precision medicine for kidney cancer in people of African descent
A research project will explore why kidney cancer affects people of African ancestry differently and how to use genomics to guide better treatments.
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Prognostic test to predict metastasis in clear cell kidney cancer
A new 12-marker biomarker test for people with clear cell renal cell carcinoma may help doctors predict which patients are at higher risk of metastasis.
-
Defining metabolic targets in kidney cancer for new treatments
A cancer-focused project is exploring how kidney cancer uses metabolism so doctors can find new, targeted ways to treat it.
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.