How the protein CHI3L1 weakens immune attacks in glioblastoma
Official title: Chitinase-3-like-1 mediated immunosuppression in Glioblastoma
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11324608 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing if blocking CHI3L1 helps the immune system attack glioblastoma in adults with this brain tumor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | May 12, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $458,144 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA259124-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324608 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with newly diagnosed or recurrent glioblastoma who are willing to donate tumor tissue or consider enrollment in future immune-based clinical trials would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without glioblastoma or whose tumors do not express CHI3L1 are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying a protein called CHI3L1 that glioblastoma tumors make and release. In mouse models, reducing CHI3L1 increased tumor-infiltrating immune cells, shrank tumors, and improved survival, while raising CHI3L1 had the opposite effect. The team is mapping how CHI3L1 interacts with Galectin-3 and Galectin-3 binding protein to push immune cells toward a tumor-helping state. They will use animal models, tissue analyses, and molecular experiments to find ways to reverse this immune suppression and guide future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies that restore immune attack on glioblastoma and improve responses to immunotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: Early laboratory and mouse studies reported by the team show promising effects of reducing CHI3L1, but this approach has not yet been proven safe or effective in people.
Where this research is happening
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University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hu, Baoli — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Hu, Baoli
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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AHR-driven immunosuppression in glioblastoma and new therapeutic targets
A personalized cancer study aims to understand why glioblastoma suppresses the immune system and to find ways to boost anti-tumor immunity in patients with this brain tumor.
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Understanding and Overcoming T cell Immunosuppression in Glioblastoma (GBM)
A large research program is looking at how glioblastoma tumors weaken immune responses and how to boost immune cells to fight GBM.
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Investigating how a protein affects immune response in brain tumors
This study is looking at how glioblastoma, a tough brain tumor, manages to escape the body's immune defenses, focusing on a protein called CHI3L1, to find new ways to help the immune system fight the tumor better.
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Understanding how certain immune cells affect glioblastoma progression
This study is looking at how certain immune cells called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) affect glioblastoma, a tough brain cancer, and how these cells might differ between men and women, with the hope of finding better ways to help patients respond to treatments.
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Exploring ways to enhance T cell activity against glioblastoma
This study is looking at ways to make treatments for glioblastoma, a tough type of brain cancer, work better by focusing on the immune system's T cells, and it aims to find new ways to boost these cells to help patients feel better.
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Investigating how immune cells affect glioblastoma growth
This study is looking at how certain immune cells in the brain, called tumor-associated macrophages, affect glioblastoma and how we can use this information to create new treatments that help the immune system fight the tumor better.
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.