Tracking how single cancer cells and nearby immune cells change together
Single cell investigation of co-evolution in cancer cells and host cell immune microenvironment
This work uses single-cell and genomic tools to find how tumor cells and immune cells interact so cancer treatments that rely on the immune system can work better for people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11222205 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will analyze cells from tumor tissue and blood one cell at a time using advanced genomic methods. They read each T cell's receptor sequences (rhTCRseq) and map those receptors back into tissue sections (Slide-TCR-seq) to see where antigen-specific immune cells sit and what genes they express. The team combines spatial profiling and computational immunogenomics to reveal how cancer cells and immune cells shape each other's behavior. Findings are being applied across different human cancer types and used to monitor responses to cancer vaccines and other immunotherapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with cancer who can provide tumor tissue or blood samples or who are receiving immunotherapy or cancer vaccines.
Not a fit: People without cancer, patients whose care does not involve tissue or blood sampling, or those whose cancers are not treated with immune-based therapies may not directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help tailor immunotherapies, improve monitoring of immune responses, and guide better cancer vaccines for patients.
How similar studies have performed: Related single-cell and TCR sequencing approaches have already given useful insights in immunotherapy studies, though integrating spatial TCR mapping across cancers is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Dana-Farber Cancer Inst — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Shuqiang — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Li, Shuqiang
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.