How inherited immune genes affect response to cancer immunotherapy
Official title: Discovery of host genetic elements affecting response to immune checkpoint inhibitors
Funded at Jackson Laboratory · NIH-11247469 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether people's inherited immune genes change how well immunotherapy works for breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jackson Laboratory NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bar Harbor, United States) |
| Project start | December 13, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $735,877 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA288836-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11247469 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with breast cancer who are considering or receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, or who are willing to contribute genetic information or samples to related research, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients needing immediate changes in therapy or those whose cancers are not treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical research.
What this research studies
Researchers are using a mouse platform that keeps the tumor the same while varying the host's inherited genes so they can find genetic regions that change response to anti-PD1 immunotherapy. They create genetically varied mice by crossing Collaborative Cross lines with a common strain and then transplant a standardized tumor to measure treatment outcomes. Early results show host genetics explain about 42% of the differences in response and point to several chromosomal regions enriched for immune genes. The team aims to pinpoint the specific inherited factors that could later be checked in people to help personalize immunotherapy choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal inherited genetic markers that help predict who will benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors, supporting more personalized treatment decisions.
How similar studies have gone: Some animal studies and early human data suggest inherited immune genes can affect immunotherapy outcomes, but mapping specific germline modifiers is still an emerging area.
Where this research is happening
-
Jackson Laboratory
Bar Harbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Edison Tak-Bun — Jackson Laboratory
- Study coordinator: Liu, Edison Tak-Bun
Related research
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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.