How immune cells spot cancer and HPV protein pieces
Deeply analyzing MHC class I-restricted peptide presentation mechanistics across alleles, pathways, and disease coupled with TCR discovery/characterization
Finding the exact bits of cancer and HPV proteins shown on cells so T cells can better recognize and target them for people with mesothelin-expressing or HPV-driven cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261727 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use a sensitive, allele-specific mass spectrometry platform (ARTEMIS) to find the short protein pieces (peptides) from Mesothelin and high-risk HPV E6/E7 that are presented on human HLA molecules. They will validate these peptides biochemically, map patient T cell responses to the identified peptides, and use peptide arrays to measure how peptide processing narrows what gets presented. Unusual peptide shapes will be studied with crystallography, and the team will look at viral immune evasion and HLA-G interactions. The work combines lab-based peptide discovery with sampling of patient T cells to connect findings to human immunity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers known to express Mesothelin (for example some mesotheliomas, ovarian, pancreatic cancers) or cancers caused by high-risk HPV (such as cervical or head and neck cancers) would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors do not express Mesothelin and who do not have HPV-driven disease are unlikely to benefit from the specific targets studied here.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to more precise T cell therapies, vaccines, or diagnostics that target mesothelin or HPV oncoprotein peptides in certain cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Related antigen-discovery and T cell receptor mapping approaches have enabled successful T cell therapies and vaccines, though this combined allele-specific mass-spec plus structural and patient-response mapping is a more advanced, less common approach.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Strong, Roland K — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Strong, Roland K
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.