Reprogrammed exosome immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: Reprogramming Exosomes for Novel Immunotherapy of Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11384983 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new treatment approach uses engineered exosomes to stimulate the immune system to fight triple-negative breast cancer in patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 4, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $513,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA276240-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384983 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with triple-negative breast cancer, particularly those who have limited options with current therapies, could be eligible for future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without TNBC or those not matching specific trial criteria may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create engineered exosomes that can activate the body's immune response against TNBC and to test how these exosomes can specifically target TNBC tumors. The work includes designing, making, and characterizing these exosomes, then evaluating their ability to induce anti-tumor immunity in preclinical models. Scientists will investigate how the exosomes work and what makes them effective and safe, with the goal of moving promising candidates toward clinical use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could become a potent and safer immunotherapy option for TNBC patients.
How similar studies have gone: Early studies in exosome-based therapies show potential, but this approach is still exploratory and build-on prior findings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Yong — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Yong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Rac-enhanced CAR-Macrophages against TNBC
A new cell therapy approach uses engineered macrophages with a CAR and Rac2 activation to target and kill triple-negative breast cancer cells expressing CSPG4.
-
Determinants of Response to DNA-Damaging Radiation and Immunotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
This grant explores why some people with triple-negative breast cancer respond to a combo of radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy and why others don’t, to guide more personalized treatment.
-
New immunotherapy combo for hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer
Aims to test a combination immunotherapy with JNK inhibitors to improve treatment for people with triple-negative breast cancer.
-
Engineered CD4+ T cells targeting KK‑LC‑1 for triple‑negative breast cancer
This project creates engineered CD4+ T cells that recognize the KK‑LC‑1 tumor antigen to help people with HLA‑DR13-positive triple‑negative breast cancer.
-
Why some triple-negative breast cancers respond to radiation plus immunotherapy and others resist
This project looks at whether patterns of tumor cell death and immune signals can predict and improve responses to radiation combined with anti-PD1 immunotherapy for people with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer that has spread to lymph nodes.
-
New combination immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer
See if adding a drug that blocks the JNK pathway can help immunotherapy work better for people with triple-negative breast cancer.
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.