Safer T cell engagers for pediatric and adult brain tumors
Official title: Safer T cell engagers: widening the therapeutic window in pediatric and adult brain tumor models
Funded at Seattle Children's Hospital · NIH-11448639 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A potential new treatment using T cell engaging proteins to help fight brain tumors in both children and adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Seattle Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $772,757 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA307555-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11448639 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with pediatric diffuse midline gliomas, recurrent high-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, and adults with brain metastases from lung, breast, or colon cancer.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not rely on PD-L1 or do not express relevant targets may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant aims to develop off-the-shelf T cell engager therapies that can reach brain tumor patients who currently have limited options. Researchers are focusing on PD-L1–targeting TCEs to address tumor heterogeneity and resistance in brain cancers and brain metastases. The work involves preclinical models that simulate pediatric and adult brain tumor biology to test safety and effectiveness before moving toward trials. The goal is to create therapies that can produce durable remissions where current treatments fail. If successful, this could bring new treatment options closer to real-world clinical use for patients and families facing these difficult cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with hard-to-treat brain tumors could gain more effective and durable treatment options.
How similar studies have gone: There is precedent for T cell engagers helping certain cancers, with some solid-tumor indications approved and others showing promise in preclinical brain tumor models.
Where this research is happening
-
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Olson, James M — Seattle Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Olson, James M
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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.