Enhancing cancer treatment by improving immune response to tumors
Official title: Potentiating Checkpoint Blockade by Cross-Priming Tumor-Reactive T cells with In Situ Vaccination
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-10881431 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring a new way to boost cancer immunotherapy by helping the immune system better spot and fight tumors, using a mix of treatments like a vaccine and radiotherapy, to see if it can lead to better results for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $351,924 |
| NIH project number | 4R37CA246239-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-10881431 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with specific types of cancer who have not responded adequately to existing checkpoint blockade therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that are not amenable to immune-based therapies or those who have already shown resistance to multiple treatment modalities may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates a novel approach to enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy by improving the immune system's ability to recognize and attack tumors. It utilizes a combination of therapies, including a vaccine that recruits immune cells, radiotherapy to prepare these cells, and specific agents to activate them. By studying this method in mouse models and analyzing samples from previous clinical trials, the research aims to understand how to better present tumor-associated antigens to the immune system, potentially leading to improved responses in patients receiving checkpoint blockade therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective cancer treatments that benefit a larger number of patients by enhancing their immune response to tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results with similar immunotherapy approaches, indicating potential for success in this novel method.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brody, Joshua D — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Brody, Joshua D
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Protective dengue vaccines that steer T and B cell responses
A vaccine study aims to guide the body’s T and B cells to fight all four dengue virus types safely and effectively.
-
Respiratory pathogen–specific T cell signatures after vaccination, infection, and treatment
A research effort to map how immune T cells respond to respiratory infections and vaccines, with potential to guide better vaccines and treatments for conditions like covid-19 and pertussis.
-
Malaria vaccine and infection: how the body’s early and later immune responses relate to protection
Researchers are studying how people’s immune systems respond to the malaria pre-erythrocytic stage, whether after vaccination or infection, to identify which responses are linked to protection.
-
Spatially responsive mass vaccination for urban rabies
A new plan uses data and maps to place vaccination sites where they’re most needed in cities, aiming to boost rabies vaccination for both people and dogs.
-
Spatially responsive mass vaccination for urban rabies
A project tests smarter placement of vaccination sites to increase mass canine rabies vaccination in cities.
-
Vaccine failure after Covid-19 vaccination in older adults
This project follows vaccinated older adults to understand who among them still gets Covid-19 and what factors make those outcomes worse.
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.