Understanding how immune escape happens after CAR-T and transplant therapies
Official title: Defining the Mechanisms of Immune Escape After Adoptive T cell Therapies
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11420373 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores why cancer cells slip past immune therapies after transplant or CAR-T treatment, with the goal of making future treatments safer and more effective for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 28, 1997 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $845,088 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA018029-50 |
| Project ID | NIH-11420373 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or related B-cell malignancies who are candidates for adoptive cell therapies or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing ACT or allogeneic transplantation may not directly benefit, though insights could inform broader immune therapy approaches.
What this research studies
Patients who relapse after adoptive cell therapy or bone marrow transplant face serious risks like infections and GVHD. The project uses advanced lab models to study how CMV infections and leukemia can evade immune attack, and examines two promising transplant approaches to reduce relapse and improve protection. Researchers will map the cellular and molecular pathways involved and test new synthetic cytokines to boost protective immunity. Findings could guide better strategies to prevent relapse and infection in people receiving these therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to safer, more effective immunotherapies and transplant approaches for leukemia patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous preclinical models have shown promise in understanding immune pathways, but translating to patients remains a key step.
Where this research is happening
-
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hill, Geoffrey Roger — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Hill, Geoffrey Roger
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.