Finding cancer-fighting T-cells from blood using a special device
Microfluidic technology to isolate tumoricidal T-cells from peripheral blood
This project is developing a new way to find and collect specific immune cells from a patient's blood that are good at fighting their cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143740 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Personalized cancer treatments, like adoptive cell transfer (ACT), use a patient's own immune cells to target tumors. A big challenge is finding enough of the right immune cells that specifically recognize and attack the cancer. This project is creating a tiny device, called a microfluidic platform, that can sort through blood samples to pick out these powerful cancer-fighting T-cells. The goal is to make it easier and more effective to gather these special cells for future therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational work is for patients with cancers like melanoma who might be candidates for adoptive cell transfer therapies.
Not a fit: Patients not considering or eligible for T-cell based therapies may not directly benefit from this specific technology development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this technology could make personalized T-cell cancer therapies more accessible, less costly, and more effective by improving the selection of tumor-targeting cells.
How similar studies have performed: Adoptive cell transfer therapies have shown success in treating certain cancers like melanoma, but this specific microfluidic separation technology is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shirure, Venktesh — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Shirure, Venktesh
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.