How tumor immune cells make cancer-killing T cells tire out
Antigen-Presenting Cell Control of CD8+ T Cell Exhaustion in Cancer
This work looks at how certain immune cells in breast tumors cause CD8+ T cells to become 'exhausted', to help people with breast cancer keep their immune responses stronger.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11314615 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) that express the protein IRF8 to see how they drive CD8+ T cell exhaustion in breast cancer. They will use mouse cancer models and remove IRF8 in macrophages to observe effects on T cell function and tumor growth. The team will also analyze gene expression in human tumor samples to check whether the same macrophage signals appear in people. Results will help identify whether targeting these macrophages could prevent permanent T cell dysfunction.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with breast cancer who can provide tumor tissue or take part in hospital-based correlative studies.
Not a fit: Patients without available tumor samples, with cancer types unrelated to these macrophage–T cell interactions, or seeking immediate clinical treatment changes may not directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments that keep cancer-killing T cells active and improve responses to immunotherapy in breast cancer patients.
How similar studies have performed: Blocking PD-1 has helped some patients by reactivating early exhausted T cells, but directly targeting macrophage-driven terminal T cell exhaustion is a newer and largely experimental approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Ming — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Li, Ming
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.