Engineering smart nanoparticles to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
Official title: Engineering a multi-targeted nanoparticle-based immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer
Funded at Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester · NIH-11365823 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to use tiny, specially designed particles to deliver cancer-fighting drugs and immune-boosting signals to pancreatic tumors to help the body attack the cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $530,050 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA303080-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365823 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be individuals with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma whose disease could potentially respond to novel immune-delivery therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with advanced disease where the tumor microenvironment is highly resistant or those intolerant to the investigational agents may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on pancreatic cancer and develops lipid-based nanoparticles that carry combinations of cancer drugs and immune-activating agents. The approach targets the tumor environment to improve how immune cells recognize and kill cancer cells. Researchers will test particle delivery and immune responses in preclinical models to promote stronger, durable anti-tumor activity. The goal is to overcome barriers that make pancreatic tumors hard to treat and to enhance the effectiveness of immune-based therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with pancreatic cancer could benefit from more effective therapies that reach the tumor and stimulate a stronger immune attack.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical work has shown that combining targeted drug delivery with immune activation can enhance tumor control in pancreatic cancer models, suggesting potential for translation.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ruscetti, Marcus a. — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Ruscetti, Marcus a.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how T cell receptors affect pancreatic cancer immunotherapy
A cancer research grant is exploring how specific T cells recognize pancreatic cancer and how that recognition might predict or improve responses to immunotherapy.
-
Novel virus therapy to help pancreatic cancer patients fight their disease
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-
Recombinant IL-33 Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
A new immunotherapy approach using recombinant IL-33 aims to help people with pancreatic cancer by activating immune cells inside tumors to fight the cancer.
-
Blocking VIP signaling to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
This grant tests a new approach aimed at helping the immune system attack pancreatic cancer by blocking a signaling pathway that's dampening immune responses in tumors.
-
TROP2-targeting CAR-NK therapy for pancreatic cancer
This project develops an off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapy engineered to target the TROP2 protein on pancreatic cancer cells.
-
Using the liver to boost immune treatments for pancreatic cancer
This work looks at how the liver's reaction to pancreatic tumors might be used to help immune-based treatments work better for people with pancreatic cancer, especially when cancer has spread to the liver.
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.