Targeting brain cancer resistance with dendritic cell vaccination and PD-1/CSF-1R inhibition
Official title: Project 1: Targeting immunotherapy-induced resistance with DC vaccination and PD-1/CSF-1R inhibition
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11377155 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant supports a brain cancer study that tests a vaccine-based immunotherapy combined with checkpoints and myeloid-cell blockade to help glioblastoma patients live longer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 11, 2017 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $402,804 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA211015-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377155 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with glioblastoma, especially those eligible for immunotherapy-based regimens and with evidence of tumor-infiltrating immune activity.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with tumors not responsive to immunotherapy or with significant comorbidities that preclude trial participation may not benefit.
What this research studies
Glioblastoma remains hard to treat, so the project explores boosting the immune system to attack brain tumors. The approach combines autologous dendritic cell vaccination with PD-1 blockade and CSF-1R inhibition to counteract immune resistance within the tumor. Animal and human data suggest this combination could attract T cells to the tumor and reduce suppressive myeloid cells, potentially improving survival. The plan builds on previous clinical indications and aims to translate promising findings into a more effective therapy for GBM patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with glioblastoma could experience longer survival and better control of tumor growth through a novel immunotherapy approach.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown that DC vaccination and PD-1 blockade can induce T-cell infiltration and prolong survival in preclinical models, with emerging clinical signals in GBM.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Prins, Robert M — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Prins, Robert M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Personalized tumor vaccine plus immune blockers for glioblastoma
This project explores whether combining a patient's own tumor‑based vaccine with two immune‑blocking drugs can help people with glioblastoma.
-
COVID-19 vaccine responses in kidney transplant patients taking mycophenolate
This project looks at how the anti-rejection drug mycophenolate affects COVID-19 vaccine protection in people with kidney transplants.
-
Vaccine and immune therapy for Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis)
Testing new vaccine approaches that teach the immune system to protect people at risk of Valley fever.
-
Improving Immunotherapy for Brain Cancer
This research explores new ways to make immunotherapy more effective for people with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, by overcoming treatment resistance.
-
Investigating immune responses to COVID-19 vaccination in children with multiple sclerosis on immunotherapy
This study is looking at how different treatments for multiple sclerosis affect how well kids respond to COVID-19 vaccines, so we can better understand how to protect them.
-
Understanding how kidney transplant patients respond to COVID-19 vaccination while on specific immunosuppressive therapy
This study is looking at how kidney transplant patients taking a medication called mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) respond to COVID-19 vaccines, and whether stopping this medication before getting vaccinated could help them build a stronger immune response and better protect them against the virus.
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.