New regulators and activators of the STING immune pathway
Novel regulatory mechanisms and agonists of STING
This work is developing new molecules to switch on the STING immune pathway to help the immune system fight cancer and viral infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285178 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers are figuring out how the STING immune switch is controlled and are designing compounds that can activate it. They will run lab experiments in cells and use animal models to see how these activators trigger interferon and other immune responses. The team will also look at whether turning on STING can make cancer immunotherapies like PD‑1 blockers work better. These are preclinical lab and animal tests, not treatments you would receive yet, but they aim to guide future clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with cancer—particularly those eligible for or receiving immune checkpoint therapy—would be the most likely candidates for future trials based on this research.
Not a fit: People with non-cancer conditions or patients who need immediate standard treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new drugs that boost anti-tumor and anti-viral immunity and improve responses to existing immunotherapies.
How similar studies have performed: Related laboratory and animal studies have shown promise and several STING agonists have entered early clinical trials, though clinical results have been mixed so far.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Xuewu — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Xuewu
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.