Investigating personalized cancer vaccines for advanced melanoma patients
Official title: Dissecting neoepitope-specific clonal T cell populations in advanced melanoma patients vaccinated with personal neoantigen peptides partnered with local and systemic immune checkpoint Inhibition
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-10689220 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a personalized cancer vaccine for people with advanced melanoma to help their immune system better fight the cancer, using unique pieces from their own tumors along with other treatments to see how well it works.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 6, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $615,390 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA229261-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10689220 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with advanced melanoma who have not responded to standard immune checkpoint therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage melanoma or those who have not been diagnosed with melanoma may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing personalized cancer vaccines for patients with advanced melanoma, aiming to enhance the immune response against tumor cells. By using neoantigens, which are unique to each patient's tumor, the study seeks to create a tailored vaccine that works in conjunction with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The approach involves administering a vaccine made from synthetic long peptides alongside immune adjuvants and checkpoint inhibitors to improve treatment efficacy. Patients will be monitored for immune responses and tumor control as part of a phase 1 clinical trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and personalized treatment options for advanced melanoma patients, potentially improving their survival rates.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results with personalized cancer vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors, indicating potential for success in this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ott, Patrick Alexander — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Ott, Patrick Alexander
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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.