Immunotherapy strategies for chemotherapy-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Project 1

NIH-funded research Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp · NIH-11146381

This project uses combined immunotherapy approaches to boost and sustain tumor-fighting T cells in people with chemotherapy-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionRoswell Park Cancer Institute Corp NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Buffalo, United States)
Project IDNIH-11146381 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you join, researchers will combine several immune-based treatments—such as checkpoint blockers, engineered T cells, and tumor-targeting viruses—to increase and sustain tumor-specific T cells against your ovarian cancer. They will work to reduce immune-suppressing cells, recruit dendritic cells that help present tumor targets, and improve tumor blood vessel function so immune cells can reach tumors. Lab testing on tumor samples and preclinical models will guide which combinations look most promising, and the best approaches will be advanced toward use in patients with recurrent, chemo-resistant disease. The goal is durable tumor shrinkage by training your immune system to find and kill the cancer.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with recurrent or progressive high-grade serous ovarian cancer that is resistant to standard chemotherapy would be the most likely candidates.

Not a fit: Patients with other ovarian cancer subtypes, early-stage disease already controlled by standard treatments, or those unable to tolerate immunotherapy may not directly benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could provide long-lasting tumor control and shrinkage for patients whose high-grade serous ovarian cancer no longer responds to chemotherapy.

How similar studies have performed: Immune therapies like checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T cells have had major successes in cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer, but similar approaches have rarely produced durable control in high-grade serous ovarian cancer, so this combination approach is promising but not yet proven.

Where this research is happening

Buffalo, 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.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.