Programmable RNA immunotherapy for solid tumors
Immunotherapy via engineered therapeutic programs in tumors using RNA
This work uses lab-made RNA packed in tiny lipid particles that are injected into tumors to wake up the immune system and help shrink solid cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176834 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are putting synthetic self-replicating RNA into tiny lipid nanoparticles and injecting them directly into tumors to turn cancer cells and nearby immune cells into factories for anti-cancer proteins. The RNA is designed with safety controls so it is only active in target cancer or immune cells and can carry multiple therapeutic genes at controlled levels. In lab and animal models this approach caused tumor cell death, drew immune cells into the tumor, and shrank both injected and distant tumors. The team aims to refine the RNA designs and delivery to make the treatment safer and more effective against solid tumors that often resist current immunotherapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with accessible solid tumors—especially those with at least one tumor that can be injected—and who have cancers that have not responded to standard treatments or immunotherapies.
Not a fit: People with cancers that are not solid tumors (for example many blood cancers), tumors that cannot be safely injected, or those with severe immune suppression may not benefit from this intratumoral RNA approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more people with solid tumors respond to immunotherapy by triggering strong local and systemic anti-cancer immune responses.
How similar studies have performed: Related LNP-RNA approaches and checkpoint/CAR‑T therapies have produced strong responses in some cancers and the team’s preliminary animal data show tumor regression, but intratumoral self-replicating RNA with programmable circuits is a novel strategy for human treatment.
Where this research is happening
Cambridge, United States
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Cambridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiss, Ron — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Weiss, Ron
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.