Targeting ARF1 to boost the immune attack on oral cancer
Official title: Targeted Arf1 inhibition to enhance immune response in oral cancer
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11249643 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing a new compound that blocks the ARF1 protein to help the immune system kill oral cancer cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $371,905 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE033433-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249643 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with oral cavity cancers—especially those with advanced, recurrent, or treatment-resistant disease—would be the likely candidates for future trials of the therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that do not rely on ARF1 signaling, those with other cancer types, or those unable to tolerate immune-activating treatments may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project develops a new ARF1-blocking compound called AI10b that selectively stops a cancer-promoting protein active in oral tumors. In lab-grown oral cancer cells and animal models, AI10b causes a form of inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis) that can alert and activate the immune system. The team will refine the compound and study how it changes tumor growth and immune responses, with safety checks against normal oral cells. The goal is to create a safe targeted therapy that could move toward clinical testing for people with oral cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce a targeted drug that directly kills oral cancer cells while stimulating the immune system, offering a new treatment option for patients with few targeted therapies today.
How similar studies have gone: This approach is novel: some ARF1 inhibitors have shown promise in lab studies, but clinical success for ARF1-targeting therapies has not yet been established.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Teng, Yong — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Teng, Yong
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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.