Understanding how the STING pathway can enhance immune responses against cancer
Official title: Novel regulatory mechanisms and agonists of STING
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11017783 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at a part of your immune system called the STING pathway to find better ways to boost cancer treatments, especially those that help your body's immune cells fight cancer, so that patients like you can have more effective options in their treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $680,598 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA273595-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11017783 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with cancers that may benefit from enhanced immune responses, particularly those receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that do not involve the STING pathway or those who are not candidates for immune checkpoint therapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the STING pathway, a crucial part of the body's innate immune system that helps detect and respond to viral infections and cancer. By studying how the STING pathway activates immune responses, the research aims to identify new ways to enhance the effectiveness of existing cancer therapies, particularly those that use immune checkpoint inhibitors like anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 antibodies. The approach involves examining the molecular mechanisms of STING activation and its role in stimulating T cells to fight cancer more effectively. Patients may benefit from insights that could lead to improved cancer treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective cancer therapies that harness the body's immune system to fight tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in enhancing cancer treatments through the activation of the STING pathway, indicating a potential for success in this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Xuewu — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Xuewu
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.