National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank — patient biosamples and data network
Official title: Continuation and Expansion of the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank for Translational Research (U24) - 2021
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11121710 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Collects and shares tissue, blood, and medical information from people with mesothelioma to help researchers develop better tests and treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,100,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U24OH009077-19 |
| Project ID | NIH-11121710 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with mesothelioma who are willing to donate blood or tissue and share clinical and occupational history at one of the participating centers.
✕Less likely to help
People without mesothelioma or those unwilling or unable to provide samples or medical records would not directly participate or receive personal medical benefit from this biobank.
What this research studies
If I join, the NMVB asks me to donate tissue and blood and to share my medical records, job history, and imaging so researchers can study mesothelioma. The program links those samples with protein, genomic, and imaging data and is coordinated by the University of Pittsburgh with partner hospitals. They plan to expand the bank to about 2,200 patients and add Baylor College of Medicine to increase geographic and racial diversity. The team is also working to speed and standardize data entry by extracting clinical and pathology details from electronic health records.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help researchers find new biomarkers and treatments more quickly and make studies more relevant to people like you.
How similar studies have gone: Other cancer biobanks have successfully supported biomarker discovery and treatment research, and this effort expands the existing NMVB network.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Becich, Michael John — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Becich, Michael John
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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National Mesothelioma Biobank expands patient biospecimen and data sharing for research
A national biobank collects blood, tissue, and clinical data from mesothelioma patients to help researchers develop better diagnostics and treatments.
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Intraperitoneal CAR T cells for peritoneal mesothelioma
A new approach uses CAR T cells delivered directly into the abdominal cavity to target mesothelioma, aiming to help people whose disease is confined to the abdomen.
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Liquid multiomics to tailor systemic treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma
Researchers are testing liquid biomarkers to help choose personalized treatments for people with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
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New ways to make mesothelioma treatment work better
This project looks at whether common antidepressant drugs plus a drug that blocks Mcl-1 can help chemotherapy work better for people with malignant mesothelioma.
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Targeting mitochondria to help immunotherapy work better for pleural mesothelioma
The team will try medicines that change cancer cell mitochondria to help immunotherapy work better for people with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
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Tumor-targeted imaging and alpha-particle therapy for mesothelioma
This project develops an antibody-based imaging approach and a targeted alpha-particle therapy to find and kill mesothelioma tumors, including hard-to-treat sarcomatoid cases.
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.