Improving Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer with CT Scans
Official title: Predictive and Diagnostic Radiomic Signatures in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)on Immunotherapy
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11193547 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work aims to find new ways to predict which non-small cell lung cancer patients will respond best to immunotherapy using information from their routine CT scans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 21, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $506,985 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA264835-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193547 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is relevant for patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are considering or undergoing immunotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without non-small cell lung cancer or those not receiving immunotherapy would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
We are looking at detailed information from CT scans, called 'radiomic features,' to understand more about lung tumors. These features can show us things like blood vessel patterns and how immune cells are interacting with the tumor, which are important for how immunotherapy works. By combining this CT scan information with existing markers, we hope to create a more accurate way to choose the right immunotherapy for each patient. This could help more patients get effective treatment and avoid therapies that won't work for them.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors better select which non-small cell lung cancer patients will benefit from specific immunotherapy treatments, potentially improving outcomes and avoiding unnecessary side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Early findings, including preliminary data from this team, suggest that CT scan features can provide valuable insights into tumor characteristics relevant to immunotherapy, though this specific approach is still being fully explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kontos, Despina — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Kontos, Despina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How air pollution and neighborhood stress affect lung tumors in African American patients
This project looks at whether long-term air pollution and neighborhood disadvantage change tumor DNA and short-term recurrence risk in early-stage lung cancer among African American patients.
-
Targeting EGFR‑mutant lung cancer cells that resist targeted drugs
This project tests lab and translational approaches to eliminate EGFR‑mutant lung cancer cells that survive targeted drugs, for people with EGFR‑positive non‑small cell lung cancer.
-
Targeting resistant cells in lung cancer treatment
This study is looking at why some lung cancer cells don't respond to certain treatments and aims to find new ways to help patients get better by targeting those stubborn cells, which could lead to longer-lasting results.
-
Investigating how non-small cell lung cancer interacts with the immune system using humanized mouse models.
This study is looking at how non-small cell lung cancer interacts with the immune system using special mice that have a human-like immune system, to help understand why some patients respond well to treatments while others don’t.
-
Targeting GARP-TGFβ to Improve Immunotherapy in NSCLC
A new antibody approach aims to block a key TGFβ-related pathway in the tumor environment to help people with non-small cell lung cancer respond better to therapy.
-
Targeting DHX9 to boost viral-like immune response in Small Cell Lung Cancer
A scientist team is testing whether blocking a protein called DHX9 can make aggressive small cell lung cancer more visible to the immune system and more responsive to immunotherapy.
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.