Infections and immune genes linked to adult glioma risk and outlook
Official title: Discovering Infection-mediated Pathways of Glioma Etiology and Prognosis by Leveraging Multiplex Serology and Immunogenomics
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11161518 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Measuring past infections and immune-gene differences in adults to learn how they relate to glioma risk and survival.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $661,410 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA266676-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11161518 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with glioma and adult volunteers without glioma who can give a blood sample and share medical and exposure history would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People looking for immediate new treatments or a cure should not expect direct clinical benefit from participating in this observational research.
What this research studies
This project will measure antibodies to 41 antigens from 12 infections using blood samples from about 1,000 people with glioma and matched controls, paired with clinical and epidemiologic data. Researchers will use quantitative, multiplex serology to capture detailed antibody levels rather than simple positive/negative tests. They will also perform long-read sequencing of HLA class I and II genes to map immune-gene differences that affect response to infection. The team will analyze individual infections, patterns of co-infection, and how HLA variation interacts with antibody responses to relate to who develops glioma and how patients fare after diagnosis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal infection-related risk factors and immune markers that help predict glioma risk and outcomes and inform future prevention or personalized treatment strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have hinted at links between infections, immune response, and glioma but were limited in scope, and this project applies broader quantitative serology and advanced HLA sequencing that are relatively novel for this question.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Francis, Stephen Starko — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Francis, Stephen Starko
Related research
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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.