Understanding why CAR T cell therapies work differently for each person

Dissecting intrinsic variability in engineered T Cell immunotherapies

['FUNDING_CAREER'] · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · NIH-11172612

This work aims to understand why CAR T cell therapies, which use a patient's own immune cells to fight cancer, have different results for different people.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_CAREER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorSTANFORD UNIVERSITY (nih funded)
Locations1 site (STANFORD, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11172612 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

CAR T cell therapy has shown great promise for certain blood cancers, but its effectiveness can vary widely among patients. This project seeks to understand why some patients respond well while others do not, by looking at how individual patient T cells react to different engineered CAR T cell designs. Researchers will develop new ways to quickly test many CAR T cell options using patient cells, and then study how T cells from patients with liquid and solid tumors behave when engineered with CARs. The goal is to find patterns in these responses that can help predict which CAR T cell therapy will work best for each patient.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This research is relevant for patients with liquid and solid tumors who might be candidates for CAR T cell therapy.

Not a fit: Patients whose cancers are not typically treated with CAR T cell therapy may not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more personalized CAR T cell therapies, ensuring that each patient receives the most effective treatment for their specific cancer.

How similar studies have performed: CAR T cell therapies have already shown dramatic successes in some liquid tumors, but this research focuses on a novel approach to understand and predict individual patient responses.

Where this research is happening

STANFORD, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Cancer Patient, Cancers

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.