Seeing how immune cells behave inside tumors
Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · NIH-11238525
This project builds advanced imaging and data tools to show how immune cells interact with hard-to-treat solid tumors so treatments can be improved for people with these cancers.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11238525 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are building and combining state-of-the-art microscopes, imaging of live cells and tissues, and quantitative data analysis to watch T cells and other immune cells inside solid tumors. They will use tissue samples and experimental models to map where immune cells go, how they move, and what physical or molecular barriers stop them from working. The team brings together micro- and nanofabrication, genome engineering, cancer immunology, and computer modeling to test ideas about how to help T cells better infiltrate and attack tumors. Findings will be used to suggest new design principles for cell-based immunotherapies aimed at cancers that currently respond poorly.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with advanced solid tumors—particularly cancers that do not respond well to current immunotherapies, including some brain cancers—would be most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to cancer or those needing immediate standard treatment are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this imaging-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better-designed immunotherapies that help immune cells reach and kill cancer cells in solid tumors, improving outcomes for people with treatment-resistant cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Related imaging and tumor immunology studies have produced useful insights, but translating those findings into widely effective therapies for many solid tumors remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA — MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: PROVENZANO, PAOLO — UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- Study coordinator: PROVENZANO, PAOLO
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 below.
Conditions: Advanced Cancer, Brain Cancer, Cancer Biology, Cancer Patient, Cancer Treatment