How acetylcholine may help immune cells fight oral cavity cancer
Official title: Role of autocrine cholinergic signaling in maintaining memory T cell responses in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11140523 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether the natural chemical acetylcholine helps memory T cells keep fighting oral cavity (oral squamous cell) cancer so immunotherapy works better for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $169,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R03DE033467-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140523 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with oral cavity (oral squamous cell) cancer—especially those whose tumors respond poorly to current immunotherapies—would be the most relevant candidates for future trials informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers outside the oral cavity or those seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this early lab-focused research.
What this research studies
As a patient, you should know researchers will study immune T cells from tumors and model systems to see if those T cells both make and respond to acetylcholine through the CHRM1 receptor. They will use laboratory cell experiments and animal models to test whether this self-signaling keeps CD8+ memory T cells active instead of becoming exhausted. The team plans to manipulate the pathway to see if boosting or blocking it changes how tumors respond to immunotherapy. These are preclinical experiments done at NYU that could point toward future clinical tests.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to strengthen T cell responses and improve immunotherapy outcomes for people with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows acetylcholine signaling can affect tumor behavior in other cancers, but applying an autocrine T cell CHRM1 pathway to oral cavity cancer is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: White, Ruth a — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: White, Ruth a
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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.