Improving how T cells find their way to treat diseases
Mechanisms and consequences of antigen-dependent T cell homing for adoptive immunotherapies
This research aims to understand how special immune cells, like CAR T cells, travel to the right places in the body to better fight infections, tumors, or autoimmune conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159562 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Adoptive cell therapies, which use a patient's own modified immune cells, are promising treatments for various diseases, but they don't always work for everyone. This project focuses on how these T cells, including CAR T cells, find and enter specific tissues where they are needed. We want to learn how blood vessel cells guide these therapeutic T cells to their targets and how to make CAR T cells even better at reaching the diseased areas. By studying these processes in lab models, we hope to improve the success of these life-changing treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is relevant to patients who are candidates for or have received adoptive cell therapies, such as CAR T cell treatments, for conditions like cancer, chronic infections, or autoimmune disorders.
Not a fit: Patients not considering or undergoing adoptive cell therapies would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more effective adoptive cell therapies for patients with cancer, infections, or autoimmune diseases by ensuring the therapeutic cells reach their intended targets.
How similar studies have performed: Adoptive cell therapies are already in clinical use for some cancers, and this research builds upon that success by addressing a key challenge in making these therapies more widely effective.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pober, Jordan S — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Pober, Jordan S
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.