Ultrasound-guided nanodroplets to boost cancer immunotherapy
Official title: Ultrasound-guided cancer immunotherapy with targeted nanodroplets
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11452878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new ultrasound-activated nanoparticle approach aims to help the immune system better attack breast cancer by delivering immune-stimulating signals directly to tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $421,685 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA304638-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with breast cancer in whom immunotherapy could become more effective through improved innate immune activation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not respond to innate immune activation or who have contraindications to ultrasound-based therapies may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses ultrasound-triggered nanodroplets (ULTRON) to improve delivery of immune-stimulating agents inside tumors, aiming to activate innate immunity and enhance the body’s attack on breast cancer. By overcoming barriers like cancer cells avoiding phagocytosis and suppressive tumor environments, the work seeks to improve antigen presentation and T cell activation. The study is conducted in a preclinical setting with a focus on translating a novel delivery method toward more effective immunotherapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with breast cancer could benefit from more robust immune responses and potentially better responses to immunotherapies.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical approaches targeting the STING pathway and phagocytosis barriers have shown promise, but delivery challenges remain and this method is exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sokolov, Konstantin V — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Sokolov, Konstantin V
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Using focused ultrasound to improve delivery of anti-cancer therapy for brain tumors
This study is exploring a new way to help treat glioblastoma by using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier, which could allow better delivery of a special therapy along with standard treatments, potentially giving patients more effective options for fighting this tough brain tumor.
-
Focused ultrasound combined with calreticulin nanoparticles to boost immune attack on melanoma
Trying to boost immune attack on melanoma in people by combining a nanoparticle that raises calreticulin in tumors with focused ultrasound.
-
Using ultrasound to quickly see how well immunotherapy works for kidney cancer
This study is looking at how well people with advanced kidney cancer respond to immunotherapy just three weeks after starting treatment, using special ultrasound techniques to check changes in blood flow to the tumors, so patients can find out faster if the treatment is working for them and switch to better options if
-
Boosting immune response to fight cancer
This study is exploring a new way to help your immune system better fight cancer by tweaking certain cells in your body, and it aims to improve treatment for people with advanced cancer.
-
A center focused on immunotherapy for pediatric cancers.
This study is exploring new ways to use the body's immune system to fight childhood cancers, aiming to create better treatments for kids whose cancers haven't responded well to standard therapies.
-
Algorithms to find HLA-E neoantigens for cancer immunotherapy
Aims to develop computer methods to discover tumor-specific targets presented by HLA-E to guide new T cell therapies for cancer.
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.