Trans‑vaccenic acid may help the immune system fight cancer
Dietary trans-vaccenic acid enhances anti-tumor immunity
This work looks at whether a dietary fat called trans‑vaccenic acid can make immune cells work better against tumors in adults with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247936 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient’s point of view, the team built a library of diet‑related blood chemicals and screened them to see which ones change responses to immune checkpoint drugs. They found trans‑vaccenic acid (TVA) as a top candidate because it boosts T cell activation and can reverse PD‑1/PD‑L1–related T cell exhaustion in lab tests. The researchers will study how TVA affects tumor growth and immune responses using lab models and human‑relevant samples. Their goal is to understand whether this common dietary fatty acid could influence cancer treatment outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with cancer—especially those receiving or considered for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, and patients with tumors linked to BRAF V600E—are the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Children, people without cancer, and patients whose tumors do not rely on immune responses or who are not treated with immunotherapy are unlikely to benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If this translates to people, TVA could become a dietary or supplement approach that helps immunotherapy work better for some cancer patients.
How similar studies have performed: Early laboratory studies suggest diet‑derived molecules can alter tumor biology and TVA showed promising effects on T cells in preclinical screens, but translating this to patients is novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Jing — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Chen, Jing
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.