Rewiring T cell exhaustion to boost anti-tumor therapy
Official title: Rewiring T cell exhaustion with immune checkpoint blockade therapy
Funded at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute · NIH-11385531 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing how to boost CD8+ T cells to help PD-1 checkpoint therapy work better against tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,024,989 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA287114-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385531 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers treated with PD-1 blockade who could benefit from enhanced T cell responses.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not rely on the PD-1 pathway or who cannot tolerate immunotherapy may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to understand and manipulate specific T cell states to improve responses to PD-1 blockade in cancer. By focusing on T cell subsets that can sustain anti-tumor activity, the study seeks to identify how PSGL-1 acts as a checkpoint and how to promote stem-like T cells that can fuel durable responses. The work involves preclinical models and human tumor samples to map T cell differentiation and test potential interventions that could be translated to patients receiving immunotherapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to strategies that increase the effectiveness of PD-1 inhibitors and improve survival for cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has shown that T cell subsets like TPEX and TTEX influence responses to checkpoint therapy, with this study aiming to refine those mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bradley, Linda Mac Pherson — Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
- Study coordinator: Bradley, Linda Mac Pherson
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.