In vivo CAR-T for myeloma: a new approach to make CAR-T inside patients
Official title: Project 1: Identify mechanisms of response and resistance with in vivo CAR-T for myeloma
Funded at Mayo Clinic Arizona · NIH-11421172 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Mayo Clinic Arizona team is testing a one-step therapy that could turn a patient’s own T cells into anti-myeloma CAR-T cells inside the body, aiming to make CAR-T treatment more accessible.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Scottsdale, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2015 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $399,249 |
| NIH project number | 2P50CA186781-11 |
| Project ID | NIH-11421172 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who may be eligible for CAR-T therapy under a phase I dose-escalation framework.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions other than relapsed/refractory myeloma or those not eligible for CAR-T could see no benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
This project looks at a novel way to generate CAR-T cells directly inside patients with relapsed multiple myeloma using a specialized lentiviral vector. It will start with a phase I dose-escalation study to test safety and the right dose, followed by expansion cohorts to explore preliminary effectiveness. Researchers will measure how well the therapy creates CAR-T cells, how the drug moves and behaves in the body, and any anti-myeloma activity. If successful, this approach could simplify access to CAR-T therapy and broaden where patients can receive treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make CAR-T therapy more accessible for people with myeloma and potentially improve responses with fewer logistical barriers.
How similar studies have gone: Early work shows that in vivo CAR-T generation is feasible in blood samples and may translate to patients, but this exact approach is being tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Scottsdale, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Yi — Mayo Clinic Arizona
- Study coordinator: Lin, Yi
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Integrative study of multiple myeloma genetics and disease biology
A team at Dana-Farber and partners is pursuing a long-term project to understand the genetic and molecular drivers of multiple myeloma and how treatments interact with disease biology.
-
Comparative Modeling to Prevent, Detect Early, and Treat Multiple Myeloma
A research team will build and compare computer models to understand how multiple myeloma develops, can be detected earlier, and treated more effectively.
-
How LDL Affects Multiple Myeloma: New Pathways to Keep Remission
A new grant is studying how cholesterol from LDL particles fuels multiple myeloma and how this interaction influences the tumor environment and immune response, with goals to help patients stay in remission.
-
Therapy-induced senescence and immune activation in multiple myeloma
A study in people with multiple myeloma will explore how treatment-related senescence in cancer cells may stimulate the immune system and affect cancer return after standard frontline therapy.
-
BCMA CAR-T enteritis: understanding immune toxicities in multiple myeloma
A broad study to uncover why some CAR-T cell treatments targeting BCMA cause severe intestinal inflammation in people with multiple myeloma.
-
Understanding Drug-Resistant Multiple Myeloma to Stop Relapse
Researchers are studying why some myeloma cells resist treatment and how to create new therapies to prevent relapse.
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.