Improving treatment and tests for head and neck cancer
Head and Neck Cancer SPORE
This program tests ways to reduce treatment side effects and make immunotherapy work better for people with head and neck cancer while finding who can safely get gentler treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11192268 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, the team runs clinical trials and uses thousands of stored tumor and blood samples to learn why some patients do not respond to PD-1 immunotherapy and how to overcome that resistance. They also study people with HPV-positive throat cancers to figure out who might be treated with lower-intensity therapy. The research combines advanced imaging from CT scans, genetic and single-cell testing, and detailed data analysis to identify useful biomarkers. The program is led by multidisciplinary teams at UPMC and includes labs that support rapid translation of findings into clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with head and neck cancers (including HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer) who are eligible for clinical trials or willing to donate tissue or blood samples.
Not a fit: People without head and neck cancer or those who do not meet the trials' eligibility rules or cannot travel for visits are unlikely to directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to more effective immunotherapy, better tests to predict who will benefit, and treatment options with fewer long-term side effects for head and neck cancer patients.
How similar studies have performed: Related immunotherapy and de-intensification trials have helped some patient groups, but overcoming treatment resistance and reliably predicting responders remains an active and evolving research area.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Skinner, Heath Devin — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Skinner, Heath Devin
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.