Light-activated drug delivery for locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Official title: Interstitial Chemophototherapy as an Intervention in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Funded at State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11320794 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using light-activated chemotherapy delivered directly inside pancreatic tumors to help people with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project start | April 11, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $625,191 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA298877-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11320794 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with locally advanced, non-metastatic pancreatic cancer whose tumors are not removable by surgery and who can undergo image-guided interventional procedures would be the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with widely metastatic disease, very poor overall health, or medical contraindications to irinotecan or interstitial light procedures are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project develops a modified liposomal form of the chemotherapy irinotecan that carries a light-sensitive molecule so the drug is released where light is delivered. Doctors would place thin light-diffusing fibers into large pancreatic tumors using image-guided techniques and trigger local drug release to concentrate treatment inside the tumor. The team combines this local chemophototherapy with immune checkpoint drugs and measures drug distribution and clearance in clinically relevant tumor models. The work aims to move from strong results in mice toward approaches that could be used in patients at specialized centers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could shrink large pancreatic tumors more effectively by releasing high-dose chemotherapy directly inside the tumor while reducing systemic side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Liposomal irinotecan and light-triggered release produced strong tumor regressions in mouse models, but using interstitial light delivery for large pancreatic tumors combined with immunotherapy is a novel translational step.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Buffalo
Amherst, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lovell, Jonathan F — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Lovell, Jonathan F
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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.