Improving CAR T cell therapy for children with solid tumors
Official title: Enhancing B7-H3-CAR T cell therapy for pediatric solid tumors
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11035233 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new way to make CAR T cell therapy work better for kids with solid tumors by using special T cells that target a protein called B7-H3, and it aims to see how safe and effective these modified cells are in helping children whose tumors haven't responded to other treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $754,519 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA262589-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11035233 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors that express the B7-H3 antigen.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with solid tumors that do not express the B7-H3 antigen may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to enhance the effectiveness of CAR T cell therapy specifically for pediatric patients suffering from solid tumors. By targeting a protein called B7-H3, which is found in high levels on certain tumors but not on most normal tissues, the study will evaluate the safety and tumor-fighting ability of modified T cells in a clinical trial. The approach includes a Phase I trial to assess how well these engineered T cells can combat relapsed or refractory tumors in children. Additionally, the research will explore the biology of these T cells to further improve their effectiveness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a more effective treatment option for children with difficult-to-treat solid tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results with CAR T cell therapies targeting other antigens, indicating potential for success with this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Derenzo, Christopher C. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Derenzo, Christopher C.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Remote-controlled PC-CAR T cells for hard-to-treat solid tumors
A new drug-free approach aims to let immune cells recognize and fight certain solid cancers by remotely adjusting their activity against tumor targets.
-
Image-guided, flexible CAR T therapy for solid tumors
A new, image-guided CAR T approach uses a universal adaptor to target solid tumors and help predict where therapy goes, aiming to reduce relapse and off-target effects.
-
Using tumor-targeting viruses to boost CAR T cell treatment for solid tumors
This work aims to help CAR T cell therapy work better for people with solid tumors by combining CAR T cells with cancer-killing viruses that ramp up the immune response.
-
Improving CAR T cell therapy for lung and other solid tumors
This project works to make CAR T cell therapy more effective for people with lung and other solid tumors by building realistic tumor models and testing ways to overcome the tumors' immune defenses.
-
Using oncolytic viruses to enhance CAR T cell therapy for solid tumors
This study is looking at how using special viruses with CAR T cell therapy might help make the treatment work better for people with solid tumors by helping the CAR T cells find and attack the cancer more effectively.
-
Improving CAR T cell therapy for lung cancer
This study is looking at ways to make CAR T cell therapy work better for lung cancer by creating a model that simulates the tumor environment, helping researchers figure out why it struggles with solid tumors and how to improve treatment for patients.
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.