How genetics and immune features influence lung cancer treatment response
Pilot Project 2: Comprehensive characterization of Immune Features Linked to Genetic Variants and Response to Immunotherapy
This project looks at how people’s genes, smoking history, tumor mutations, and blood immune markers relate to tumor biology and response to immunotherapy in lung cancer patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194517 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers will combine clinical tumor sequencing records with patients’ genetic information and smoking history to find links between inherited variants and tumor mutations. They will profile immune features in tumors and measure inflammatory mediators in patients’ plasma, especially in people who received immunotherapy. The team will use real-world observational sequencing data alongside biospecimens to explore how environment and genetics jointly shape tumor mutation patterns like KRAS and high tumor mutation burden. The goal is to connect those molecular signatures to who responds best to immune checkpoint treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with lung cancer who have had or are willing to have tumor sequencing and who can provide blood samples and access to their clinical records are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without lung cancer, or those unwilling to provide samples or share their clinical sequencing data, would not directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help personalize diagnostic testing and better predict which lung cancer patients will benefit from immunotherapy.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has linked smoking, KRAS mutations, and tumor mutation burden to immunotherapy response and immune profiling shows promise, but combining germline genetics, environmental exposures, and immune biomarkers in this integrated way is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Jian — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Jian
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.