Mapping the immune landscape of ovarian tumors to predict outcomes
Official title: Spatial and Bayesian modeling methods for assessment of the tumor immune microenvironment and survival of women with ovarian cancer
Funded at Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo) · NIH-11314490 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses advanced tumor imaging and new statistical models to map immune cells in ovarian tumors and help predict survival for women with ovarian cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $614,977 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA279065-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11314490 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with epithelial ovarian cancer—especially those who have tumor tissue available for immune imaging or who are part of the contributing research cohorts—are the ideal candidates to benefit from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without epithelial ovarian cancer or those who do not have tumor tissue available for imaging would not be expected to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers are building new statistical methods and software to analyze multiplex immunofluorescence images that show where immune cells sit inside ovarian tumors. They will develop spatial approaches and Bayesian models that handle the patchy, zero-heavy counts of immune cells and the tissue architecture. These tools will be applied to existing tumor imaging data from about 2,500 women with epithelial ovarian cancer enrolled in established studies. The team aims to create an "Oimmuno" immunoscore that links the tumor immune landscape to survival outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce an immunoscore that helps doctors better predict prognosis and guide treatment decisions for women with ovarian cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Spatial immune profiling and immunoscores have shown promise in other cancers, but applying large-scale spatial Bayesian modeling to ovarian cancer is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo)
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fridley, Brooke L — Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo)
- Study coordinator: Fridley, Brooke L
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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.