How the STING protein affects chronic lymphocytic leukemia and its treatment
Mechanisms of STING in malignant progression and therapy of CLL.
Looking at whether drugs that activate the STING protein can kill CLL cells and help people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11263629 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will explore how the STING protein affects CLL cells and the immune system's response to the leukemia. They will test STING-activating drugs in laboratory models of CLL to see if these drugs trigger cancer cell death and whether they work together with existing BTK inhibitor treatments. Experiments will examine mitochondria-driven apoptosis in B-cell cancers and whether STING activation can prevent progression or reduce the need for toxic long-term therapies. Results will help decide if STING-based approaches should move toward clinical testing for people with CLL.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, particularly those who have relapsed or who had problems tolerating BTK inhibitor therapy.
Not a fit: People without CLL or those whose disease is driven by non–B-cell mechanisms are unlikely to directly benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new STING-based therapies or better combinations with BTK inhibitors that more effectively kill CLL cells and reduce treatment side effects.
How similar studies have performed: STING agonists have entered early clinical trials for some solid tumors and lymphomas and prior laboratory work (including by this team) showed STING can trigger apoptosis in B-cell cancers, but benefit specifically in CLL has not yet been proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Methodist Hospital Research Institute — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hu, Chih-Chi Andrew — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Hu, Chih-Chi Andrew
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.