Immune suppression and social factors in breast cancer

The role of immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and association with social drivers of health in patients with breast cancer

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · NIH-11143006

This project looks at how immune-suppressing cells in breast tumors and patients' social conditions relate to outcomes for people with breast cancer.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (nih funded)
Locations1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11143006 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

You would be asked to let researchers analyze your breast tumor tissue and share information about social factors like access to care and neighborhood. Scientists at USC will map suppressive immune cell types in tumors using pathology, engineering tools, and computational analysis and compare patterns across different breast cancer subtypes. They will combine those immune profiles with social drivers of health to look for links to treatment response. The team plans to use these findings to help design future clinical trials that match patients to the right immunotherapy approaches.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with breast cancer treated at the University of Southern California who can provide tumor tissue and information about their social or demographic circumstances across different cancer subtypes.

Not a fit: Patients without available tumor tissue, those treated outside the USC system, or people with cancers other than breast cancer are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could help identify biomarkers that predict who may respond to immunotherapy and lead to fairer, more personalized treatment decisions.

How similar studies have performed: Some prior studies show immune cell patterns can predict immunotherapy response in other cancers, but combining detailed suppressive-immune profiling with social drivers in breast cancer is largely novel.

Where this research is happening

Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Cell, Breast Cancer Patient, Breast Cancer Risk Factor

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.