Helping tired cancer-fighting T cells work better to improve immunotherapy
Rewiring T cell exhaustion with immune checkpoint blockade therapy
This project aims to help exhausted CD8 T cells stay active by targeting a protein called PSGL-1 so more people can benefit from PD-1 cancer immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11163378 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one is treated with PD-1 immunotherapy, researchers are studying why some immune T cells become 'tired' and stop fighting the tumor. The team is focusing on a protein called PSGL-1 that may act as a brake inside those T cells and trying ways to preserve stem-like and precursor exhausted T cells that can renew anti-tumor responses. They will use laboratory models of chronic infection and mouse cancer models, and look at immune cells from human melanoma tumors to track how manipulating PSGL-1 changes T cell behavior and responses to PD-1 therapy. The goal is to find approaches that keep helpful T cells working longer and reduce the chance cancer becomes resistant to treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy—especially people with melanoma or other cancers where exhausted CD8 T cells are involved—are the most relevant group.
Not a fit: People whose cancers are not treated with PD-1 pathway drugs or whose tumors lack exhausted CD8 T cells are less likely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could increase the number of patients who respond to PD-1 immunotherapy and extend the time those responses last.
How similar studies have performed: PD-1 checkpoint therapies have already helped many patients, and while targeting PSGL-1 has promising results in animal studies, it remains an early and not yet widely tested strategy in humans.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bradley, Linda Mac Pherson — Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
- Study coordinator: Bradley, Linda Mac Pherson
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.