UCLA brain cancer SPORE: new immunotherapy and cell-death strategies
Official title: UCLA SPORE in Brain Cancer
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11377152 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A premier, patient-focused program at UCLA aims to improve brain cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment by combining immunotherapy, smarter drug strategies, and CAR-T approaches to overcome treatment resistance.
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) | $2,633,890 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA211015-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377152 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with brain cancer, especially glioblastoma, who may be eligible for future immunotherapy or targeted therapy trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with brain cancer who cannot participate in future clinical trials or who have cancers not responsive to the proposed strategies may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports several translational research projects that pair pre-clinical work with innovative clinical studies to better treat brain cancer. Researchers will study how brain tumors evade immunotherapy, how cancer cells resist dying through apoptosis, and how to simultaneously target tumor cells and their microenvironment with CAR-T therapies. The work includes strategies like DC vaccination, PD-1/CSF-1R inhibition, and methods to counteract drug-induced resistance. By combining mechanistic lab science with clinical testing, the program seeks to translate findings into better therapies for patients with glioblastoma and related brain cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more effective immunotherapies and treatments that prevent or overcome resistance, potentially extending survival and improving quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous immunotherapy approaches in brain cancer have shown promise in early trials, with ongoing efforts to overcome resistance.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liau, Linda M — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Liau, Linda M
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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.