MS4A7's role in cancer resistance to immune treatment
MS4A7 in tumor resistance to immunotherapy
This project will try to block a protein called MS4A7 in immune cells inside tumors to help people with solid cancers respond better to checkpoint immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11259469 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research focuses on immune cells called tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) found in human cancers and mouse tumor models, where a protein named MS4A7 is common. The team studies patient tumor samples and animal models to see how MS4A7 interacts with TREM2 and reduces key antigen-presenting features like MHC and CD86. They test whether interfering with MS4A7 can restore macrophage function and improve responses to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint therapy and may develop targeted monoclonal antibodies if successful.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with solid tumors, especially those who have not responded to PD-1/PD-L1 therapies or whose tumor samples show high MS4A7 in macrophages.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancers already respond well to current immunotherapies or whose tumors lack MS4A7 expression are less likely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, targeting MS4A7 could help tumors that resist checkpoint immunotherapy respond better by restoring macrophage-driven antigen presentation.
How similar studies have performed: Related work targeting macrophage pathways such as TREM2 has shown promising preclinical and early clinical signals, but directly targeting MS4A7 is a newer approach still mainly at the preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zou, Weiping — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Zou, Weiping
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.