Finding new treatments for lung cancer that address racial health disparities
Official title: Overcoming racial health disparities in lung cancer through innovative mechanism-based therapeutic strategies
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11075289 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at new ways to make lung cancer treatments work better, especially for Black patients who seem to respond well to certain immune therapies, by examining how their tumors and immune cells behave.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | April 10, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $555,768 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA272627-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11075289 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are Black patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer who are seeking innovative treatment options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have lung cancer or those who are not of Black race may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing innovative therapies to improve lung cancer treatment outcomes, particularly for Black patients who have shown better responses to certain immune therapies. The team at Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center is investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to these disparities. By analyzing tumor samples and immune cell behavior, they aim to enhance the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade therapies and explore combination treatments that could lead to better patient responses. The research utilizes advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing to identify specific immune cell characteristics in Black lung cancer patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective lung cancer treatments tailored to address the unique needs of Black patients, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in using immune checkpoint blockade therapies for lung cancer, particularly in diverse patient populations, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Wei — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Wei
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Blood-based markers to identify lung cancer risk in never-smokers
A researchers team at NYU School of Medicine is testing blood tests that might flag higher lung cancer risk in people who have never smoked, helping decide who might need screening.
-
Integrative Analysis of Lung Cancer Risk and Its Causes
A large, multi-part study at the University of New Mexico is exploring why lung cancer happens and how to better prevent and detect it.
-
Integrative Analysis of Lung Cancer Risk and Causes
A large NIH project is exploring how tobacco use, behavior, biology, and screening practices influence lung cancer risk and outcomes to help prevent and detect it earlier.
-
Digital health strategies to expand lung cancer screening in safety-net clinics
A funded project aims to help low-resource clinics increase the use of lung cancer screening for patients who smoke or are at risk.
-
Proteomics-guided matching of lung cancer tumors to preclinical models
This grant aims to improve how we match a patient’s lung cancer tumor to the right preclinical models using protein data.
-
Optimizing lung cancer care with smart tools for prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship
A U01 grant using AI and biomarkers to improve lung cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and survivorship care for people at risk or living with lung cancer.
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.