New treatment approach for pancreatic cancer using anti-complement therapy
Official title: Anti-Complement Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Funded at Albert Einstein College of Medicine · NIH-10984451 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring a new treatment for pancreatic cancer that works by boosting the immune system's ability to fight the disease, and it aims to find out if combining this treatment with radiation can help improve outcomes for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $54,538 |
| NIH project number | 5F30CA278322-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10984451 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who have limited treatment options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer or those who do not have pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates a novel immunotherapy aimed at pancreatic cancer, specifically targeting the complement system that contributes to the disease's aggressive nature. By understanding how the tumor microenvironment influences cancer progression, the study seeks to block complement activation, which may help improve immune response against tumors. The research utilizes a unique mouse model to track tumor growth and assess the effectiveness of this therapy in combination with radiotherapy. Patients may benefit from insights gained that could lead to new treatment options for pancreatic cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for pancreatic cancer, potentially improving survival rates.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of targeting the complement system in cancer is emerging, this specific application in pancreatic cancer is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bell, Brett I — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Bell, Brett I
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how T cell receptors affect pancreatic cancer immunotherapy
A cancer research grant is exploring how specific T cells recognize pancreatic cancer and how that recognition might predict or improve responses to immunotherapy.
-
Novel virus therapy to help pancreatic cancer patients fight their disease
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-
Recombinant IL-33 Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
A new immunotherapy approach using recombinant IL-33 aims to help people with pancreatic cancer by activating immune cells inside tumors to fight the cancer.
-
Blocking VIP signaling to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
This grant tests a new approach aimed at helping the immune system attack pancreatic cancer by blocking a signaling pathway that's dampening immune responses in tumors.
-
Engineering smart nanoparticles to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
Aims to use tiny, specially designed particles to deliver cancer-fighting drugs and immune-boosting signals to pancreatic tumors to help the body attack the cancer.
-
TROP2-targeting CAR-NK therapy for pancreatic cancer
This project develops an off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapy engineered to target the TROP2 protein on pancreatic cancer cells.
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.