Helping CAR T cells fight solid tumors better
Official title: Targeting immunosuppression of intratumoral CAR T cells
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11262841 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing ways to protect engineered CAR T cells so they survive and kill cancer cells inside solid tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $501,043 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA285321-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11262841 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with solid tumors being considered for CAR T approaches, especially those whose tumors have not responded to standard treatments, would be the most relevant future candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that are not targets for CAR T therapy or those who are not eligible for cell-based treatments are unlikely to benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Tumors create a harsh environment that weakens CAR T cells and limits their ability to kill cancer. This work focuses on a signaling change in T cells (loss of the IFNAR1 receptor) driven by enzymes MK2 and PARP11 that makes CAR T cells die or stop working inside tumors. The team will study how restoring IFNAR1 signaling or blocking these enzymes preserves a protective enzyme (CH25H) and prevents harmful interactions between CAR T cells and cancer cells. These lab and preclinical studies aim to find strategies that could later be tested in patients to improve CAR T therapy for solid tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help CAR T therapies survive and work better against solid tumors that now resist these treatments.
How similar studies have gone: CAR T therapies have been highly successful for some blood cancers but have struggled in solid tumors, and while targeting the tumor microenvironment has shown promise, this specific IFNAR1/MK2/PARP11-based approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fuchs, Serge Y — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Fuchs, Serge Y
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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.