Genetically engineering B cells to target cancer
Advanced Genetic Engineering to Unravel Tumor-Specific B Cell Responses
This project aims to create tumor-targeting B cells with gene editing to help people with solid tumors, especially breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11250053 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers plan to use homology-driven gene editing to reprogram B cells so they specifically recognize cancer cells, then expand those engineered B cells in the lab. They will use knowledge from tumor-draining lymph nodes and tumor-infiltrating B cells to design cells that can directly kill cancer or boost T cell immunity. Most work will be done in the laboratory and preclinical models to test safety and tumor-fighting activity before any patient therapies are offered.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The work is most relevant to people with solid tumors such as HER2-positive breast cancer who might one day donate tumor tissue or blood for developing engineered B cell therapies.
Not a fit: Patients with blood cancers, those without tumor-infiltrating B cells, or those needing immediate standard cancer treatment are unlikely to benefit directly from this early-stage work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a new cell therapy that directly attacks tumors and strengthens the body's anti-cancer immune response.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies in mice have shown adoptive transfer of tumor-specific B cells can reduce metastases, but using homology-driven gene editing to create patient B cells is largely a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Children's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Genovese, Pietro — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Genovese, Pietro
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.