New targeted therapies to reduce racial gaps in lung cancer outcomes
Overcoming racial health disparities in lung cancer through innovative mechanism-based therapeutic strategies
Trying drug combinations to make immunotherapy work better for people with non-small cell lung cancer, with special attention to lowering differences in outcomes between Black and White patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11303403 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
At Wake Forest, researchers will compare tumor and immune cells from Black and White people with non-small cell lung cancer using single-cell RNA sequencing to identify immune and metabolic differences. They will test combinations that target redox and fatty acid metabolism together with immune checkpoint blockers in lab models and patient-derived samples to see which approaches restore exhausted CD8+ T cell function. The team will examine genetic changes such as TP53 and MCL-1 that may influence metabolism and treatment response. Promising combinations could move toward clinical testing aimed at improving immunotherapy responses and narrowing racial disparities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with non-small cell lung cancer—especially Black patients or those who have received or are candidates for immune checkpoint therapy and are willing to provide tumor samples or join related trials—would be most relevant.
Not a fit: Patients with small cell lung cancer, those unwilling to provide tissue or clinical data, or whose tumors lack the specific immune or metabolic features studied may not receive direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could raise immunotherapy response rates in non-small cell lung cancer and help close racial gaps in treatment outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work shows racial differences in immunotherapy response and links between metabolism and immune function, but combining metabolic-targeting drugs with checkpoint blockade is still experimental.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Wei — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Wei
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.