How T cell metabolism affects radiation therapy
T cell-intrinsic metabolic control of radiotherapy
Seeing if changing the metabolism of T cells can make radiation therapy work better for people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11262226 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
I have cancer and my doctors use radiation to shrink tumors. This research looks at how energy and metabolic signals inside immune T cells that enter tumors influence how well radiation works. The team focuses on the mTOR–HIF1α pathway in tumor-infiltrating T cells and studies how radiation can turn tumors into in-place vaccines. They will use laboratory models and tumor samples to test whether altering T cell metabolism can improve tumor control and overcome resistance to immunotherapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with solid tumors receiving radiation—especially those whose cancers are resistant to PD-1/PD-L1 or other checkpoint therapies—would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with blood cancers, those not receiving radiation, or cancers driven by unrelated mechanisms are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make radiation more effective and help tumors respond when other immunotherapies have failed.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies show radiation can boost anti-tumor immunity and checkpoint blockers help many patients, but directly targeting T cell metabolism for this purpose is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shi, Lewis Z. — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Shi, Lewis Z.
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.