Resistance to neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer
Official title: Project 2: Mechanisms of Resistance to Neoantigen Vaccines in PDAC
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11187265 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Optimized neoantigen vaccines aim to boost tumor-specific T cells in people with pancreatic cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | August 28, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $355,885 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA272213-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187265 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who are eligible for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and have planned surgery (window trial candidates) are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with widespread metastatic disease not eligible for neoadjuvant therapy or surgery, or those with very low tumor neoantigen burden or severely suppressed immune systems, may be unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on earlier vaccine work that used patient-specific neoantigens delivered as DNA or long peptides and showed strong immune responses in some pancreatic cancer patients. Researchers use computer algorithms to pick both class I and class II neoantigens and make optimized vaccines given after neoadjuvant chemotherapy but before surgery. During this pre-surgery “window” they collect blood and tumor tissue to measure neoantigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells inside the tumor and in circulation. The team studies why some tumors resist vaccine-induced immunity so they can design strategies to increase the number and function of tumor-targeting T cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could increase tumor-targeting immune cells and improve treatment responses for people with pancreatic cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Early-phase neoantigen vaccine trials in pancreatic cancer have produced robust immune responses and hints of better-than-expected clinical outcomes, but larger studies are still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hawkins, William G — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Hawkins, William G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeting epigenomic regulators to assault pancreatic cancer replication stress
This research tests a new way to treat pancreatic cancer by blocking key epigenetic regulators during DNA replication to make cancer cells less able to cope with replication stress.
-
Neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer: overcoming resistance to improve immune responses
This grant supports testing advanced neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer to boost patients' immune responses and potentially improve outcomes.
-
CD11b-activating drug to make pancreatic cancer respond to immunotherapy
A study to see if a CD11b-activating drug (GB1275) can help pancreatic cancer patients respond better to immunotherapy when combined with standard chemotherapy and PD-1 blockers.
-
Targeting autophagy to treat KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer
This grant explores using approved drugs to block autophagy in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer to improve treatment outcomes.
-
Reprogramming PDAC stroma by targeting blood clotting in the tumor environment
A cancer research grant aimed at turning the tough, fibrous pancreatic cancer environment into one that helps treatments work better and supports the body’s immune response.
-
Understanding paracrine signals in pancreatic cancer to improve drug delivery
A patient-focused look at how the tumor’s signaling networks affect treatment delivery in pancreatic cancer and how targeting these networks could help therapies reach tumors more effectively.
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.