How tumor and immune cell metabolism affects cancer progression
Official title: Role of metabolic crosstalk in determining immunity during tumor progression
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-10888404 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how cancer cells and immune cells affect each other’s energy use and behavior, with the goal of finding ways to boost the immune system's ability to fight cancer and improve treatment outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 14, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $469,199 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282794-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10888404 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with various types of cancer who are undergoing or considering immunotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage cancers that do not require immunotherapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the interactions between tumor cells and immune cells, focusing on how their metabolic processes influence each other during cancer progression. It aims to understand how nutrient competition and metabolic waste in the tumor microenvironment affect immune cell function and their ability to fight cancer. By developing a new algorithm called Compass, the researchers will analyze these metabolic interactions at a cellular level, providing insights into how to enhance anti-tumor immunity and improve responses to therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for enhancing the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promising results in understanding metabolic interactions in cancer, but this approach using the Compass algorithm is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anderson, Ana C — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Anderson, Ana C
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.