Improving immune treatments for cancers that have spread to the brain
Official title: Optimizing systemic immunotherapy for personalized brain metastasis treatment
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11174237 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will try blocking a molecule called TGF-β in lymph nodes to help immune therapies work better for people whose cancer has spread to the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $348,747 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA261717-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174237 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults whose cancer has spread to the brain, especially those being considered for immunotherapy or willing to provide tissue or blood samples, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that have not spread to the brain, those in poor overall health who cannot receive immunotherapy, or those whose tumors do not rely on TGF-β–driven immunosuppression may not benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This project focuses on brain metastases, where cancer spreads to the brain and weakens the body's immune response. Researchers will study tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) that produce TGF-β and track how these cells move between brain tumors and the tumor-draining lymph nodes. Using lab models and patient-derived samples, they will block TGF-β at the lymph nodes to see if that restores T cell priming and improves responses to checkpoint inhibitors or vaccine approaches like iPSC-based vaccines. Results could guide new combination therapies to make existing immunotherapies more effective for people with brain metastases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make immunotherapies more effective against brain metastases and help patients live longer or have better disease control.
How similar studies have gone: Previous preclinical and early clinical work suggests TGF-β blockade can boost immunotherapy in some cancers, but applying this approach specifically to brain metastases is relatively new and still exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lim, Michael — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Lim, Michael
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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.