Light-activated therapy to boost immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer
Official title: Project 2: Intratumoral PDT Induces PDP-based Enhancement of PD-1 Inhibition in Pancreatic Carcinoma
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11195098 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This approach uses a light-activated drug placed into pancreatic tumors to trigger an immune response so immunotherapy medicines may work better for people with pancreatic cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 1999 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $218,467 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA084203-20 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195098 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma whose tumors can safely be reached by an endoscopic or CT-guided needle and who are eligible for immune checkpoint therapy are the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People whose tumors cannot be accessed safely for fiber-delivered light, who are not eligible for immunotherapy, or who have serious medical conditions that prevent the procedures may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would receive an intravenous photosensitizer (verteporfin) and then a thin optical fiber would be guided into the pancreatic tumor using endoscopic ultrasound or CT so red light can activate the drug in the tumor. That activation, called photodynamic priming (PDP), is intended to draw immune cells into the tumor and help teach T cells to attack cancer cells. After PDP, participants receive an immune checkpoint drug (pembrolizumab) to further promote an anti-tumor immune response. The team will monitor blood and tumor markers and scan for tumor shrinkage and responses in distant metastases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow immune checkpoint drugs to work for many more people with pancreatic cancer and possibly shrink both primary tumors and metastases.
How similar studies have gone: Early, limited clinical observations and laboratory data suggest PDP can boost tumor-directed T cells and there are anecdotal instances of distant tumor regression, but broad effectiveness remains unproven and is being tested in this Phase II effort.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chandrasekhara, Vinay — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Chandrasekhara, Vinay
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Novel idea: Epstein-Barr virus and eye cancer in people living with HIV in Zimbabwe
A study explores whether Epstein-Barr virus could cause a type of eye cancer in people living with HIV in Zimbabwe.
-
Glutamine and macrophage behavior in liver cancer
A funded project at a medical university aims to understand how the liver’s immune cells interact with a specific type of liver cancer by looking at metabolism, especially glutamine and ammonia.
-
Understanding bladder cancer biology to find new biomarkers and therapies
A study at Tuskegee University will look at the molecules inside high-grade bladder cancer to discover new markers and potential treatment targets.
-
Oral cancer recurrence predictor using tumor microbes and gene activity
This NIH grant explores how bacteria and immune signals inside oral cancer tumors relate to whether the cancer comes back, with the aim of making a practical risk predictor for patients.
-
Understanding how bladder cancer starts in Veterans exposed to carcinogens and the role of PPAR-g in early bladder cancer
A research team is studying how bladder cancer begins and progresses in Veterans exposed to carcinogens, focusing on the PPAR-γ protein and early precancerous changes.
-
Adding PSMA PET/CT imaging to liver cancer care for veterans
This project tests a new PET imaging approach to help diagnose and guide treatment for liver cancer in veterans.
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.