How neutrophil-driven immune suppression affects lung and colorectal cancer
Understanding the role and clinical potential of dominant immune suppressive myeloid-cell responses in human cancer
Testing whether blocking an IL-8–linked neutrophil pathway can help people with lung or colorectal cancer who do not respond well to current immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11158845 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study tumor and blood samples from people with lung and colorectal cancer to find immune signals linked to treatment resistance. They will focus on the IL-8/CXCR1/CXCR2 pathway, neutrophil infiltration, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and how local metabolism affects these responses. Lab models will be used to test ways to reverse this neutrophil-driven suppression and to identify biomarkers that predict who might benefit. The goal is to connect findings in patient samples to therapies that could be tested in future clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with lung or colorectal cancer, especially those who have not responded to PD-1 or CTLA-4 immunotherapy, are the most likely candidates to participate or benefit from this work.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers other than lung or colorectal disease, or whose tumors do not show IL-8/neutrophil-driven suppression or who cannot undergo required biopsies, may not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce markers to better select patients for immunotherapy and point to new treatments that overcome resistance driven by neutrophils.
How similar studies have performed: Immune checkpoint blockers (PD-1/CTLA-4) have helped some patients, but targeting IL-8 and neutrophil-driven resistance is a newer approach with encouraging preclinical data and limited clinical proof so far.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schalper, Kurt a — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Schalper, Kurt a
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.