Understanding skin immune side effects from cancer immunotherapy and how to treat them
Official title: Mechanistic Assessment and Treatment of Immune Related Adverse Events
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-11311283 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying why immune-related skin side effects from cancer therapies happen and how to treat them so patients can keep benefiting from these treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Portland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2027 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002750-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311283 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients receiving immune checkpoint blockers or similar immunotherapies who experience or are at risk for dermatologic irAEs.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without skin-related irAEs or those not undergoing immunotherapies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on skin-related immune side effects caused by checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab and nivolumab. It will explore the role of resident memory T cells in driving these skin reactions and use that knowledge to develop more precise treatment strategies. The goal is to better predict, prevent, and rapidly manage these irAEs to keep immunotherapy effective and tolerable for patients. The work builds on prior molecular findings to translate mechanisms into targeted approaches that could help both veterans and the broader patient community.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to more effective and safer immunotherapy by reducing skin irAEs and improving patients’ ability to stay on treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work linking tissue signatures to skin reactions supports the feasibility of this approach, suggesting potential for meaningful impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Portland VA Medical Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kulkarni, Rajan P. — Portland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Kulkarni, Rajan P.
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.