How cancer cell mitochondria affect immune detection
Mitochondrial Regulation of Antitumor Immunity
This research tests whether changing cancer cell mitochondria can make tumors more visible to the immune system and help people whose cancers do not respond to current immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Salk Institute for Biological Studies NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252595 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is studying how mitochondrial activity and metabolites like succinate change a tumor's ability to be seen and attacked by the immune system. In laboratory and animal experiments, they alter mitochondrial respiration—focusing on complex II (succinate dehydrogenase)—and measure tumor antigen presentation and CD8 T cell responses. They use both mouse models and human tumor samples or cell models and have found that increasing succinate can boost antigen presentation independent of interferon-gamma. The goal is to find approaches or biomarkers that could make tumors more responsive to immune therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with solid tumors, especially those whose cancers have not responded to immune checkpoint therapies, are the most likely candidates for future trials or to donate tumor samples.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancers already respond well to existing immunotherapies or whose tumors lack the mitochondrial features targeted by this work are less likely to benefit directly from this preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make some tumors more responsive to immunotherapy by increasing how well tumor cells present antigens to the immune system.
How similar studies have performed: Early lab studies, including the investigators' own work, showed that blocking complex II or adding succinate can boost antigen presentation in mouse and human tumor models, but clinical benefits in patients remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, UNITED STATES
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shadel, Gerald — Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- Study coordinator: Shadel, Gerald
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.