How genes, smoking, and the immune system affect lung cancer and treatment response
Official title: Pilot Project 2: Comprehensive Characterization of Immune Features Linked to Genetic Variants and Response to Immunotherapy
Funded at City College of New York · NIH-11194451 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how inherited genes, smoking history, and immune signals relate to tumor mutations and immunotherapy response in people with lung cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | City College of New York NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2008 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $47,100 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA132378-17 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194451 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with lung cancer who have tumor sequencing data or are receiving or have received immunotherapy, and who can provide blood samples and smoking-history information, are the best match.
✕Less likely to help
People without lung cancer, those not eligible for immunotherapy, or those unwilling/unable to provide tumor or blood samples are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will use my tumor sequencing data and blood plasma to measure tumor mutations and immune markers. They will combine information about my inherited (germline) genetic variants and my smoking history to look for patterns linked to specific tumor changes like KRAS mutations. The team will compare immune profiles from patients who did and did not respond to immunotherapy to find markers tied to better outcomes. These analyses use real-world clinical sequencing and laboratory immune profiling to connect genes, environment, and immune activity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help predict which lung cancer patients will benefit from immunotherapy and guide more targeted genetic and diagnostic testing.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies have linked smoking to KRAS mutations and shown high tumor mutation burden can predict immunotherapy response, but combining germline genetics, environmental exposure, and immune profiling in the same patients is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
City College of New York
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goyert, Sanna M — City College of New York
- Study coordinator: Goyert, Sanna M
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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.