Enhancing BCMA CAR T cells to achieve lasting responses in multiple myeloma
Official title: Enhancing antigen sensitivity of BCMA CAR T cells for durable clinical responses inmultiple myeloma
Funded at Sollus Therapeutics, INC. · NIH-11407469 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aimed at making BCMA CAR T cell therapy work better for people with multiple myeloma by improving how well the engineered cells recognize and attack cancer cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sollus Therapeutics, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $373,452 |
| NIH project number | 1R41CA310458-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11407469 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with multiple myeloma who could benefit from improved BCMA-targeted therapies and later participate in trials of next-generation CAR T cells.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit would be those not eligible for cellular therapy or those without BCMA expression relevant to the study designs.
What this research studies
This project tests many different CAR designs to find ones that detect cancer cells with very low levels of the BCMA target. It uses high-throughput screening in lab dishes and animal models to identify the top candidates. The goal is to select lead designs that could be developed into safer, more effective BCMA CAR T therapies for patients with multiple myeloma who relapse after current treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to BCMA CAR T cells that provide longer-lasting responses for patients with multiple myeloma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous BCMA CAR T approaches showed promise but lacked durable long-term responses; this project aims to overcome that limitation with optimized designs.
Where this research is happening
-
Sollus Therapeutics, INC.
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mccutcheon, Sean — Sollus Therapeutics, INC.
- Study coordinator: Mccutcheon, Sean
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Integrative study of multiple myeloma genetics and disease biology
A team at Dana-Farber and partners is pursuing a long-term project to understand the genetic and molecular drivers of multiple myeloma and how treatments interact with disease biology.
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Comparative Modeling to Prevent, Detect Early, and Treat Multiple Myeloma
A research team will build and compare computer models to understand how multiple myeloma develops, can be detected earlier, and treated more effectively.
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How LDL Affects Multiple Myeloma: New Pathways to Keep Remission
A new grant is studying how cholesterol from LDL particles fuels multiple myeloma and how this interaction influences the tumor environment and immune response, with goals to help patients stay in remission.
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Therapy-induced senescence and immune activation in multiple myeloma
A study in people with multiple myeloma will explore how treatment-related senescence in cancer cells may stimulate the immune system and affect cancer return after standard frontline therapy.
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BCMA CAR-T enteritis: understanding immune toxicities in multiple myeloma
A broad study to uncover why some CAR-T cell treatments targeting BCMA cause severe intestinal inflammation in people with multiple myeloma.
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Understanding Drug-Resistant Multiple Myeloma to Stop Relapse
Researchers are studying why some myeloma cells resist treatment and how to create new therapies to prevent relapse.
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.