Generating T cell receptor pairs to improve cancer immunotherapy
Official title: MATCHMAKERS: Large-scale generation of TCR-pMHC pairs from naturally occurring sources.
Funded at Technical University of Munich · NIH-11041676 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring how immune cells called T cells recognize cancer markers, which could help improve cancer treatments, and it's using smart computer techniques to analyze data from both humans and mice to make these treatments more effective.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Technical University of Munich NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Munich, Germany) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $191,844 |
| NIH project number | 1OT2CA297204-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11041676 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with cancer who may benefit from targeted immunotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-cancerous conditions or those not eligible for immunotherapy may not receive benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding how T cell receptors (TCRs) recognize tumor antigens presented by MHC molecules, which is crucial for enhancing immunotherapy for cancer. The project combines advanced machine learning techniques with extensive datasets of TCR-pMHC pairs derived from natural sources, including human and mouse models. By creating accurate predictors of TCR-antigen recognition, the research aims to facilitate the design of more effective cancer treatments. The work will be conducted through multiple work packages that involve both natural and synthetic approaches to data collection and analysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and personalized cancer immunotherapies.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using machine learning to enhance immunotherapy, indicating potential success for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Technical University of Munich
Munich, Germany Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Busch, Dirk — Technical University of Munich
- Study coordinator: Busch, Dirk
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.