New cell therapies for melanoma with NRAS or B2M changes
Novel cell therapy approaches for molecularly defined subsets of therapy-resistant melanoma
This project develops T-cell-based treatments for people whose melanoma no longer responds to immune checkpoint drugs, focusing on tumors with NRAS or B2M changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| 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-11179183 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will look for tumor markers made by NRAS-mutated melanoma and design T-cell receptors that can recognize those markers. They will also create engineered cell therapies that can attack cancers that have lost normal HLA class I presentation due to B2M changes. Work involves laboratory studies and testing with patient-derived samples to develop cell products. Promising approaches would be advanced toward early clinical testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with advanced melanoma that has progressed after immune checkpoint therapy, especially those whose tumors have NRAS activating mutations or B2M loss, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients whose melanoma responds to existing treatments, who lack NRAS or B2M alterations, or who have early-stage disease are less likely to benefit from these specific approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to personalized cell therapies that help patients with melanoma that stopped responding to current immunotherapies.
How similar studies have performed: T-cell receptor-based cell therapies have yielded durable responses in some cancers, but targeting NRAS-driven tumors and overcoming HLA-I loss from B2M mutations is a newer and still exploratory approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Klebanoff, Christopher Austin — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Klebanoff, Christopher Austin
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.