Targeting LSD1 to boost immune therapy for small cell lung cancer
Official title: Project 3: Targeting LSD1 to augment responses to PD-L1 inhibition in small cell lung cancer
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11397788 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funded project aims to help people with small cell lung cancer by using a drug that inhibits LSD1 to make immune therapy work better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2019 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $435,213 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA228944-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397788 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with small cell lung cancer who could receive combined LSD1 inhibitor and PD-1 blockade in future trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not respond to LSD1 inhibition or immunotherapy may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on making immune checkpoint therapy more effective for small cell lung cancer by combining it with LSD1 inhibition. Researchers will study how LSD1 inhibitors change tumor cells and immune cells, aiming to make tumors more visible to the immune system. The effort includes examining tumor and immune cell interactions, transcription factors, and how these changes affect responses to PD-1 inhibitors. The work builds on prior findings that LSD1 inhibition can enhance antigen presentation and anti-tumor immunity in models.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with SCLC could experience improved and more durable responses to immunotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies showed LSD1 inhibition can enhance immune responses and improve PD-1 blockade efficacy in preclinical models, supporting this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Macpherson, David — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Macpherson, David
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
ABL kinase signaling and DNA collisions in small cell lung cancer
A drug target study in small cell lung cancer explores how blocking ABL kinase affects conflicts between transcription and DNA replication, which could influence tumor growth and survival.
-
XRN1 as a potential therapy target in lung cancer
A scientist-led program will study a cellular gene called XRN1 to see if turning it off can help treat non-small cell lung cancer.
-
Intermittent fasting with PD-1 inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer
This grant tests whether a fasting-mimicking diet can boost the effectiveness of PD-1 inhibitors for people with non-small cell lung cancer.
-
Targeting STRAP to curb NSCLC spread with nanoparticle therapy
Aimed at non-small cell lung cancer, this grant tests how blocking a protein called STRAP with nanoparticles could slow cancer spread and make chemotherapy work better.
-
Modeling tumor differences to guide new treatments for resistant small cell lung cancer
A study aims to understand why some small cell lung cancer tumors resist treatment and use those insights to develop new targeted therapies.
-
TP53-mutant NSCLC: how epigenetic viral mimicry could boost immune therapy
A research grant exploring how p53 mutations in non-small cell lung cancer affect responses to a viral mimicry-based epigenetic therapy, with the goal of improving immune therapy outcomes for patients.
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.