How cholesterol in liposomal cancer medicines affects the tumor immune response
Official title: CHOLESTEROL METABOLISM IN THE PHARMACOLOGY OF LIPOSOMAL THERAPEUTICS
Funded at Texas Tech University Health Scis Center · NIH-11180320 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research tests whether changing the cholesterol used in liposomal chemotherapy can stop those medicines from weakening the immune system against tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Tech University Health Scis Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lubbock, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $472,452 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282339-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180320 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancers treated with liposomal chemotherapy (for example, liposomal doxorubicin) would be the most relevant candidates for future trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not treated with liposomal drug formulations or whose cancers are not managed with liposomal chemotherapy are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
I learned that some liposomal chemotherapy particles contain cholesterol that the body can turn into oxidized products which change immune cell behavior. The team will use immune cells and mouse tumor models to track how liposomal cholesterol is metabolized over time and which metabolites alter macrophage function. They will then design and test cholesterol-like compounds that do not trigger the same tumor-promoting immune changes. The goal is to create liposomal drug formulations that deliver chemotherapy without suppressing anti-tumor immunity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to safer liposomal chemotherapy that preserves the immune response and makes treatment more effective for cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies from this group showed liposomal cholesterol can suppress anti-tumor immunity and increase tumor growth, but replacing cholesterol with non-protumor analogs is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
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Texas Tech University Health Scis Center
Lubbock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: La-Beck, Ninh — Texas Tech University Health Scis Center
- Study coordinator: La-Beck, Ninh
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.