Predicting immune side effects and response to checkpoint immunotherapy using blood T cells and cell-free DNA
Determinants of toxicity and response to immune checkpoint blockade through integrative profiling of T cell clonal dynamics and plasma cell- free DNA
This project looks at whether patterns in certain T cells and cell-free DNA from blood can predict severe side effects and treatment response for people with melanoma receiving combination immune checkpoint therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11110475 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have melanoma and are getting combination anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 therapy, researchers will collect blood before and during treatment to measure T and B cell types and cell-free DNA. They will use techniques like flow cytometry, CyTOF, single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing, and immunoSEQ to track which T cell clones change over time. For patients who develop skin toxicities, the team will compare blood T cell clones to cells found in skin lesion biopsies to see if the same clones are involved. The study aims to identify blood markers present before or early in treatment that signal higher risk of severe immune-related side effects and relate those markers to treatment benefit.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with melanoma scheduled to receive or already starting combination anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy are the best fit for participation.
Not a fit: People not receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors, patients with other cancers, or those unwilling to have blood draws or skin biopsies are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors predict who is likely to get severe immune side effects and guide safer, more personalized immunotherapy choices.
How similar studies have performed: Previous smaller studies have linked immune cell patterns to toxicities and responses, but reliable blood-based predictors are not yet established, so this approach is promising but still being proven.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Mayo Clinic Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chaudhuri, Aadel — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Chaudhuri, Aadel
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.