How immune cells may cause chemo resistance in pancreatic cancer
The Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer Chemoresistance
This project looks at how immune cells called myeloid cells change in pancreatic cancer before and after chemotherapy to find why some tumors stop responding.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11264933 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would give small tissue samples during your diagnostic endoscopic biopsy and, if applicable, during surgical removal after treatment so researchers can compare tumors over time. The team will use single-cell sequencing to map which tumor and immune cells are present and how they change after chemotherapy. They will also grow patient-derived tumor and immune cells together in the lab to test how myeloid cells might protect cancer cells from drugs. The work is centered at the Ann Arbor VA and focuses on fresh biospecimens from veterans to capture real treatment-related changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who are having diagnostic biopsy or surgical resection at the Ann Arbor VA, particularly veterans willing to donate tissue samples.
Not a fit: People without pancreatic cancer, those not undergoing biopsy or surgery, or those treated outside the study site would not be able to participate or benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal immune-based reasons for chemo resistance and guide new treatments or strategies to keep chemotherapy working longer.
How similar studies have performed: Related single-cell and immune-mapping approaches have shown promise in other cancers, but longitudinal human studies focusing on myeloid-driven chemo resistance in pancreatic cancer are newer and less proven.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- Veterans Health Administration — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carpenter, Eileen S — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Carpenter, Eileen S
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.