Special tumor blood vessels that help the immune system fight cancer
Role of intratumoral high endothelial venules in tumor immunity
This work aims to help immune cells get into tumors by promoting special blood vessels called high endothelial venules (HEVs), with the goal of making immunotherapy work better for people with cancers such as breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11311811 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are changing the behavior of a blood-vessel protein called R-Ras in the cells that line tumor vessels to see if that makes HEVs form inside tumors. They will use genetic loss- and gain-of-function models to compare tumors with more or fewer HEVs, count T and B cells that enter the tumor, and test how tumors respond to immune checkpoint therapies. Laboratory work will include mouse tumor models and detailed tissue analysis, and findings will be compared with available human tumor data where possible. The goal is to understand whether creating HEVs can turn 'cold' tumors into 'hot' ones that respond to immunotherapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with solid tumors—for example breast adenocarcinoma—or those whose cancers do not currently respond to immune checkpoint therapies because immune cells are excluded from the tumor microenvironment.
Not a fit: Patients with blood cancers or conditions not related to tumor blood-vessel biology, or those whose tumors already respond well to current immunotherapies, are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase immune cell entry into tumors and improve patient responses to immunotherapies.
How similar studies have performed: Clinical and pathology studies show that tumors with more HEVs tend to have better immune infiltration and outcomes, but deliberately inducing HEVs via R-Ras modulation is a new, preclinical approach not yet proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Komatsu, Masanobu — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Komatsu, Masanobu
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.