Personalized mRNA cancer vaccines to target skin tumor neoantigens
Official title: Characteristics of T cell receptor recognition that predict neoantigen immunogenicity
Funded at Phoenix VA Health Care System · NIH-11184837 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to help people with skin cancer by finding which tumor mutations make strong targets for immune therapy and using personalized mRNA vaccines to boost their body’s fight against the tumor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Phoenix VA Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Phoenix, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01CX002965-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11184837 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with skin cancers (especially cSCC) or other high-mutational-burden cancers where personalized neoantigen vaccines are being considered.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors lack suitable neoantigen targets or who cannot receive vaccines may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on skin cancers like cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and how mutations from UV exposure create neoantigens that T cells can recognize. It aims to improve how we pick neoantigens so vaccines can more effectively trigger tumor-fighting T cells. The team will study T cell receptor recognition patterns in a mouse model and connect these findings to human tumor biology to guide personalized vaccine design. The work could lead to more precise vaccines that work with fewer side effects than some existing immunotherapies. The effort combines cancer biology, immunology, and computational ideas to identify the best targets for vaccines in high-mutational-burden cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with skin cancer could receive more effective, personalized vaccines that boost immune responses against their tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows that selecting immunogenic neoantigens can enhance vaccine responses, but predicting TCR recognition remains challenging and this approach is exploratory.
Where this research is happening
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Phoenix VA Health Care System
Phoenix, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hastings, Karen Taraszka — Phoenix VA Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Hastings, Karen Taraszka
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.