Investigating a new immunotherapy approach for ovarian cancer
Official title: Mechanisms of Th17-DC immunotherapy for ovarian cancer
Funded at Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis · NIH-11051773 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new treatment for advanced ovarian cancer that combines a special immune therapy with a vaccine to help your body fight the cancer better, and it’s looking for patients to see how well it works and if it’s safe.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | March 7, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $178,819 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA288928-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11051773 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with stage III or IV ovarian cancer who have not responded well to existing therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage ovarian cancer or those who have not been diagnosed with ovarian cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research explores a novel immunotherapy approach for ovarian cancer that combines anti-PD-1 treatment with Th17-inducing dendritic cell vaccination. The goal is to enhance the immune response against tumors by stimulating anti-tumor T cell immunity and reducing immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment. The study will evaluate the role of B cells in the effectiveness of this combined treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes in advanced stages of ovarian cancer. Patients may be involved in trials that assess the safety and efficacy of this innovative therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatment options for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results with Th17-DC vaccination in improving responses to anti-PD-1 therapy, indicating potential for success in this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cannon, Martin J — Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
- Study coordinator: Cannon, Martin J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Next-Generation NK Cell Therapy for Ovarian Cancer
A cutting-edge, donor-derived natural killer (NK) cell therapy is being developed to treat ovarian cancer more safely and effectively than traditional CAR-T approaches.
-
Targeting PP4 to boost ovarian cancer response to immunotherapy
A Mayo Clinic study aims to see if inhibiting PP4 can make chemo-resistant ovarian cancer more responsive to immunotherapy.
-
Enhancing Cancer Immunotherapy for Resistant High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer with a New Platinum Nanotherapy
A new platinum-based nanotherapy is being tested to help women with chemoresistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer survive longer by boosting cancer-killing immune responses.
-
Next-generation engineered NK cell therapy for ovarian cancer
This project offers a new off-the-shelf NK cell treatment designed to attack ovarian cancer, especially disease that is resistant to platinum chemotherapy.
-
Improving ovarian cancer treatment with immunotherapy by targeting PP4
This project looks at how blocking a protein called PP4 might make immunotherapy work better for women with ovarian cancer.
-
Developing a new treatment for ovarian cancer using engineered proteins
This study is testing a new treatment for ovarian cancer that uses a special protein to help the immune system target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone, and it's designed for people battling this tough disease.
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.