Mapping immune cells and proteins across tumor regions
Tumor subregion and immune cell type-selective proteomic profiling
This project maps proteins inside immune cells in different parts of tumors to help people with cancer get more precise diagnoses and treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238447 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have cancer, this research aims to pinpoint where different immune cells sit inside a tumor and what proteins they carry by combining 3D imaging with protein-analysis lab tests. The team will develop a method that uses 3D photobleaching to label immune cells in specific tumor subregions in mouse tumor models and then extract those labeled cells for deep proteome profiling. Next, they will look for distinct macrophage niches and link those protein signatures to how tumors respond to therapy. The long-term goal is to discover new markers and treatment targets tied to a tumor’s immune landscape.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with solid tumors who can provide tumor tissue or who receive care at a center that can collaborate on tissue-based research.
Not a fit: People with blood cancers, those who cannot or will not provide tumor tissue, or patients seeking immediate treatment changes are unlikely to directly benefit from this early lab-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal immune-cell niches that serve as biomarkers or treatment targets, enabling more accurate diagnoses and more personalized cancer therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Related spatial transcriptomics and proteomics work has identified important tumor-immune patterns, but combining 3D photobleaching with bottom-up proteomics in this way is novel and largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, UNITED STATES
- University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Steve Seung-Young — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Lee, Steve Seung-Young
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.