Recombinant IL-33 Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Official title: Recombinant Interleukin-33 Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11397478 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new immunotherapy approach using recombinant IL-33 aims to help people with pancreatic cancer by activating immune cells inside tumors to fight the cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $569,381 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA257881-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397478 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who could benefit from future immunotherapy strategies.
✕Less likely to help
People whose tumors do not respond to IL-33–mediated immune changes or who have contraindications to immune therapies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on a novel treatment strategy for pancreatic cancer that addresses tumors with few existing immune T cells. It studies how administering IL-33 can recruit and activate immune cells to boost anti-tumor responses in the tumor environment. The work uses mouse models to test how IL-33 changes immune cell composition and enhances CD8+ T cell activity, with the goal of improving tumor control. If successful, this could lead to new combinations with other immunotherapies to benefit patients with advanced disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a new immunotherapy option that helps pancreatic cancer patients mount a stronger anti-tumor immune response.
How similar studies have gone: Early preclinical data in PDAC models show that IL-33–driven immune activation can restrict tumor growth, with stronger effects when combined with PD-1 blockade.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Balachandran, Vinod P — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Balachandran, Vinod P
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how T cell receptors affect pancreatic cancer immunotherapy
A cancer research grant is exploring how specific T cells recognize pancreatic cancer and how that recognition might predict or improve responses to immunotherapy.
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Novel virus therapy to help pancreatic cancer patients fight their disease
A new oncolytic virus designed to target pancreatic cancer is being developed to help patients by boosting immune response and overcoming treatment resistance.
-
Blocking VIP signaling to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
This grant tests a new approach aimed at helping the immune system attack pancreatic cancer by blocking a signaling pathway that's dampening immune responses in tumors.
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Engineering smart nanoparticles to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
Aims to use tiny, specially designed particles to deliver cancer-fighting drugs and immune-boosting signals to pancreatic tumors to help the body attack the cancer.
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TROP2-targeting CAR-NK therapy for pancreatic cancer
This project develops an off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapy engineered to target the TROP2 protein on pancreatic cancer cells.
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Using the liver to boost immune treatments for pancreatic cancer
This work looks at how the liver's reaction to pancreatic tumors might be used to help immune-based treatments work better for people with pancreatic cancer, especially when cancer has spread to the liver.
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.