Targeting T Cells to Boost Anti-Tumor Immunity in Pediatric Brain Tumors
Official title: Targeting T Cells for enhancing anti-tumor immunity in pediatric brain tumors.
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11379532 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A physician-scientist team at UC San Diego is testing whether enhancing tumor-fighting T cells can help kids with brain tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $525,843 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA288506-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379532 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with brain tumors who undergo surgical resection at participating centers and consent to participate.
✕Less likely to help
Children whose tumors do not elicit neoantigen-specific T cell responses or who cannot tolerate immunotherapies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on understanding how tumor-specific T cells behave in pediatric brain tumors and whether therapies that increase their numbers and activity, such as PD-1 blockers and personalized vaccines, can improve outcomes. Building on prior work with the TARGET BRAIN cohort, the study will analyze tumor samples to map T cell clonality and activity in diverse patient groups. The goal is to identify ways to safely boost anti-tumor T cell responses in children, potentially informing future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new immunotherapy strategies tailored for children with brain tumors, potentially improving survival and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Recent work has shown presence of neoantigen-specific T cells in brain tumors and suggests immunotherapies may help, though pediatric data are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ganesan, Anusha Preethi — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Ganesan, Anusha Preethi
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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.