Personalized tumor neoantigen detection to guide T cell cancer therapy
A precision tumor neoantigen identification pipeline for cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-based cancer immunotherapies
['FUNDING_R01'] · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · NIH-11266212
This project develops a highly sensitive test to find tumor-specific markers so T cell immunotherapy can be better targeted for people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | DANA-FARBER CANCER INST (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11266212 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This work would use your tumor's DNA and RNA sequencing, computer analysis, chemical peptidomics, and a very sensitive form of mass spectrometry to directly find the small peptides (neoantigens) shown on your cancer cells. The team at Dana-Farber, together with industry partners, plans to build a practical pipeline that can work with small clinical samples. The goal is a test that tells which neoantigens are actually presented on your tumor so T cell therapies or vaccines can be aimed at real targets. The method is designed to work with routine biopsies rather than requiring large numbers of tumor cells.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with solid tumors who can provide a biopsy or surgical tumor sample and are being considered for T cell–based immunotherapy or personalized vaccine approaches.
Not a fit: Patients without available tumor tissue, with cancers that lack detectable neoantigens, or with severe immune suppression may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors match T-cell or vaccine therapies to each patient's actual tumor markers, improving chances of response and avoiding ineffective treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Previous neoantigen-guided vaccines and T-cell therapies have shown promise but were limited by imperfect prediction methods, and this work applies a newer, more sensitive mass-spectrometry approach that is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- DANA-FARBER CANCER INST — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: REINHERZ, ELLIS L — DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- Study coordinator: REINHERZ, ELLIS L
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.