Lung bacteria linked to immune response and immunotherapy in lung cancer
Official title: Local microbiota signatures of pro-tumor immunity and checkpoint inhibition susceptibility in lung cancer
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11261045 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether certain bacteria in the lower airways are tied to how people with non-small cell lung cancer respond to PD-1 immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $652,880 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA244775-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261045 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with non-small cell lung cancer who are scheduled to receive or are receiving PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy and can provide airway, stool, and blood samples are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without NSCLC, those not receiving immune checkpoint therapy, or individuals unable or unwilling to undergo airway sampling (bronchoscopy or sputum collection) may not receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would join people with non-small cell lung cancer who are receiving PD-1 checkpoint immunotherapy and be followed over time. Doctors will collect lower airway samples (for example bronchoscopy or sputum), stool, and blood at multiple visits and use 16S rRNA sequencing to map the bacterial communities. The team will search for a microbial pattern called pneumotypeSPT and measure immune signals in the tumor and blood to see how the microbiome relates to inflammation. They will link these microbiome and immune findings to progression-free survival to see if lung bacteria predict treatment benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict who is most likely to benefit from PD-1 immunotherapy and point to microbiome-based ways to improve responses.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked gut bacteria to immunotherapy response with promising associations, but studying the lower airway microbiome in lung cancer is newer and less proven.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Segal, Leopoldo Nicolas — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Segal, Leopoldo Nicolas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Intratumoral microbiota and immune predictors of response to immunotherapy in lung cancer
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Predicting Immunotherapy Success for Lung Cancer
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Understanding how gut bacteria improve lung cancer treatment
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Understanding how gut bacteria and immune cells affect lung cancer treatment response
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How gut bacteria can improve lung cancer treatment with immune therapy
This study is looking at how certain good bacteria in your gut might help make lung cancer treatments work better, especially a type of therapy called anti-PD-1, and if you join, you could help researchers find out which bacteria are most helpful by providing samples.
-
Understanding how lung bacteria affect cancer treatment response
This study is looking at how the bacteria in your lungs might affect how well immunotherapy works for non-small cell lung cancer, and it aims to find patterns that could help doctors tailor treatments just for you.
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.