How cancer cells respond to stress affects immune protection against tumors
Official title: Cancer cell-intrinsic mitochondrial stress responses influence protective immunity
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11022291 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how cancer cells in ovarian tumors respond to stress and how that affects the immune system's ability to fight the cancer, with the hope of finding new ways to help patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $468,373 |
| NIH project number | 1R37CA295820-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11022291 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer who may benefit from enhanced immune responses.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other types of cancer or those not diagnosed with ovarian cancer may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of mitochondrial stress responses in cancer cells and how they influence the immune system's ability to fight ovarian cancer. By understanding the unique environment of ovarian tumors, the study aims to uncover how cancer cells adapt to stress and how this affects the infiltration of immune cells that can attack tumors. The researchers will explore the cellular mechanisms involved in these stress responses, which could lead to new therapeutic strategies to enhance anti-tumor immunity in patients. This work is particularly focused on high-grade serous ovarian cancer, a type with a poor prognosis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved immunotherapies that enhance the body's ability to fight ovarian cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in understanding cancer cell stress responses and their impact on immune function, suggesting that this approach could yield significant insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Payne, Kyle Kristopher — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Payne, Kyle Kristopher
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.