Understanding how tumors interact with the immune system in aggressive breast cancer
Official title: USING DEEP MUTATIONAL SCANNING TO CHARACTERIZE TUMOR-IMMUNE INTERACTIONS
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-10818660 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how tumors and the immune system work together in people with triple negative breast cancer to find out which patients might respond best to a specific treatment called anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $94,091 |
| NIH project number | 4K00CA264307-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10818660 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer who are considering or currently undergoing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-triple negative breast cancer or those not eligible for immunotherapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the interactions between tumors and the immune system specifically in patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), a particularly aggressive form of the disease. By analyzing tumor samples from patients undergoing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, the study aims to identify genetic changes and their impact on the tumor microenvironment. The researchers will use advanced imaging techniques and genetic sequencing to uncover patterns that may predict which patients are likely to benefit from immunotherapy. This comprehensive profiling could lead to the development of biomarkers that help tailor treatments to individual patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could help identify which TNBC patients are most likely to respond to immunotherapy, leading to more personalized and effective treatment options.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using similar approaches to understand tumor-immune interactions, indicating potential for success in this area.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greenwald, Noah — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Greenwald, Noah
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cancer cells use exosomes to evade the immune system
This study is looking at how cancer cells use tiny bubbles called exosomes to hide proteins that can keep your immune system from fighting the tumor, and by figuring this out, the researchers hope to help doctors understand why some people respond well to cancer treatments while others don’t, ultimately aiming to creat
-
Reducing harm from smoking using electronic cigarettes
This study is looking at whether using electronic cigarettes can be a safer option for people who smoke traditional cigarettes, by comparing the health effects and exposure to harmful substances between the two.
-
Understanding how knee pain and knee obesity and muscle loss affect knee osteoarthritis
This project looks at how knee swelling, excess knee fat, and muscle loss relate to pain and structural changes in knee osteoarthritis in adults.
-
Cutaneous opioid signals in skin inflammation
A mentor-identified clinician-researcher at UCSF is studying how natural skin opioids regulate itch and pain in inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and hidradenitis, with plans to map where these opioids come from and how they affect skin nerves.
-
Pooling international data to understand long-term bisphosphonate use and atypical femur fractures
This project combines large patient datasets from multiple countries to understand how long-term bisphosphonate use relates to rare hip and thigh bone fractures, helping doctors and patients make safer treatment choices.
-
Airway cell and immune cell talks in lung transplant failure
This grant tests how airway cells and immune cells interact to drive chronic rejection after lung transplant, with the goal of slowing or preventing scar-like damage.
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.