Single-cell multi-omics platform for immune cells (PD- CAR-T related)
Official title: Optimization of a single cell multi-omic analysis platform for circulating and therapeutic immune cells
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-11429710 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new single-cell analysis platform is being developed to map thousands of immune cells, including CAR-T cells from cancer patients, by analyzing multiple molecular features at once.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $211,778 |
| NIH project number | 1R61CA315160-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11429710 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with cancer who are receiving CAR-T cell therapy or have archived PBMC samples from cancer patients may participate.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without cancer or CAR-T therapy involvement are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a MALDI mass spectrometry workflow and a dedicated SoloCell software to profile individual immune cells captured on slides. It can analyze thousands of cells quickly to create a detailed cellular map that links surface markers to molecular data such as lipids and glycans. Researchers will test the approach on peripheral blood samples from cancer patients and on CAR-T cell products from ongoing trials to characterize different immune cell states. The goal is to standardize detectable analytes in key immune cell types and apply the platform to real patient-derived samples.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more precise immune profiling that informs personalized cancer therapies and monitoring of CAR-T cell products.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work shows fast, high-throughput single-cell profiling is feasible, with this project extending it to immune cells and clinical samples.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Drake, Richard R. — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Drake, Richard R.
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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.