Inter-metastatic divergency in small cell lung cancer and future immunotherapies
Official title: Inter-metastatic divergency in small cell lung cancer; implications for the design of future immunotherapies
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11364956 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Duke-led study aims to understand why small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells differ across metastases and how this affects immune-based treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $386,376 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA278907-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11364956 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with small cell lung cancer who contribute metastatic tissue through the Rapid Tissue Donation program or who have similar disease characteristics.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without metastatic disease or without access to tumor tissue donation may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will use tissue from rapid donation of metastatic SCLC tumors and patient-derived models to map how antigen differences and immunosuppressive proteins shape resistance to immunotherapy. The project will build a rationale for new immunotherapy approaches tailored to the heterogeneity seen in different tumor sites. By combining patient tissues with laboratory models, the team hopes to identify barriers to effective immune responses and test potential strategies to overcome them over five years.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to more effective, personalized immunotherapies for SCLC.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest tumor antigen diversity and immunosuppressive environments can limit immunotherapy, but this project focuses on inter-metastatic heterogeneity in SCLC.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Conejo-Garcia, Jose R — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Conejo-Garcia, Jose R
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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.