Making melanoma and kidney cancer cell death trigger stronger immune responses
Project III: Engineering immunogenic cell death in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.
This project aims to reprogram how melanoma and renal cell carcinoma cells die so their death sparks a bigger immune attack and helps more patients benefit from immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176082 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is working on ways to make tumor cells die in inflammatory, immune-stimulating ways rather than quietly, by manipulating cell-death pathways such as necroptosis, pyroptosis, and a caspase-independent form linked to mitochondrial DNA release. Researchers will use molecular engineering and laboratory models to turn on these pro-inflammatory death programs and study the resulting immune activation. The work focuses on melanoma and renal cell carcinoma and examines how these approaches interact with existing immune checkpoint therapies. Findings will guide whether these strategies could move into early clinical testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with melanoma or renal cell carcinoma—especially those with advanced disease or who have had limited response to checkpoint inhibitors—would be the most relevant candidates for eventual trials based on this work.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers other than melanoma or kidney cancer, or those who are not eligible for immunotherapy or related clinical trials, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make immunotherapy work for a larger share of people with melanoma or kidney cancer and produce longer-lasting remissions.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies show that forcing inflammatory forms of tumor cell death can boost anti-tumor immunity, but translating these approaches into safe, effective human treatments is still at an early stage.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheng, Emily H — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Cheng, Emily H
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 below.