RaceCAR-M engineered macrophage therapy for cancer and other conditions
Official title: RaceCAR-M immunotherapy for cancer and beyond
Funded at University of California Santa Barbara · NIH-11195560 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is developing engineered macrophage immune cells (RaceCAR-M) to better find, engulf, and kill cancer cells while reducing side effects for people with advanced cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Barbara NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Barbara, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,088,500 |
| NIH project number | 5DP1CA300850-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195560 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with difficult-to-treat or relapsed cancers, especially those who have exhausted standard treatment options and may be eligible for early-phase cell therapy trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without cancer, or patients whose tumors lack the specific targets or who are medically ineligible for experimental cell therapies, are unlikely to benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers are reprogramming macrophages—natural immune cells that engulf threats—so they recognize and eat whole cancer cells more effectively and with greater specificity. The idea builds on discoveries from fruit fly biology and has already produced engineered mouse and human macrophages that avidly engulf cancer cells in the lab. The team plans lab and preclinical work to improve potency, reduce off-target autoimmune reactions, and address issues that limit current CAR-T therapies like immune exhaustion and tumor antigen loss. Success would help make cell-based cancer treatments safer, more effective, and more accessible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, RaceCAR-M could offer safer, more effective cell-based treatments for patients whose cancers no longer respond to standard therapies.
How similar studies have gone: CAR-T therapies have helped some blood cancers, and early Phase 1 CAR-M trials indicate safety but limited efficacy so far, making this a promising yet still experimental approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Montell, Denise J. — University of California Santa Barbara
- Study coordinator: Montell, Denise J.
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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.