Improving cell-based melanoma treatment affected by antibiotic-related gut imbalance
Improvement of cellular immunotherapy during dysbiosis- Resubmission
Working to make cell-based immunotherapy work better for people with advanced melanoma whose gut bacteria were disrupted by antibiotics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11211211 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You will learn how antibiotics that change gut bacteria (dysbiosis) can weaken the immune system and make cell-based melanoma treatments less effective. The team studies melanoma models and tumor samples to see how dysbiosis lowers ICAM-1, a molecule that helps immune cells enter tumors. They will test strategies to restore ICAM-1 and boost anti-tumor immune activity so more people respond to cellular immunotherapy. The work combines lab experiments and tumor-focused approaches with the goal of translating findings toward therapies that could help patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with advanced melanoma who are receiving or may receive cell-based immunotherapy, particularly those who have recently taken antibiotics.
Not a fit: People with early-stage melanoma who do not need immunotherapy or patients with non-melanoma cancers are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could raise the number of melanoma patients who respond to cellular immunotherapies, especially after antibiotic use.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked the gut microbiome to responses to cancer immunotherapies, but applying those findings specifically to cellular immunotherapy and reversing ICAM-1 suppression is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Little Rock, United States
- Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis — Little Rock, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dings, Ruud P.m. — Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
- Study coordinator: Dings, Ruud P.m.
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.