Improving immune cell therapy for melanoma after antibiotic-related gut changes
Official title: Improvement of cellular immunotherapy during dysbiosis- Resubmission
Funded at Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis · NIH-11171417 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work seeks ways to help cellular immunotherapy work better for people with melanoma whose gut bacteria have been 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 start | September 15, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $348,182 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA245083-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171417 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with advanced or treatment-resistant melanoma being treated with or considered for cellular immunotherapy—especially those who have recently used antibiotics—are the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage melanoma treated only with surgery or those not receiving cellular immunotherapy likely would not get direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Many antibiotics can upset the balance of bacteria in the gut, which can weaken the immune system and make cancer therapies less effective. The researchers focus on melanoma and are studying how antibiotic-induced gut changes reduce a molecule called ICAM-1 in tumors and hurt immune cell therapy. They use laboratory models and tumor samples to understand the steps that link gut microbes to immune activity inside tumors. Based on those findings, they plan to test approaches to restore ICAM-1 and boost the ability of immune cells to attack melanoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could raise the number of melanoma patients who respond to cellular immunotherapies by reversing antibiotic-related immune problems.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies link the gut microbiome to immunotherapy response, but strategies to reverse antibiotic-induced suppression of tumor immunity remain experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
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.
Related research
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This study is looking at how changes in gut bacteria caused by antibiotics might affect the success of cancer treatments for melanoma, and it's especially for patients with advanced melanoma who have taken antibiotics.
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Microbial Dysbiosis and Its Role in Pancreatic Cancer
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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.