Using a new immune protein to help melanoma that resists current immunotherapies
Project 3. Overcoming Melanoma Treatment Resistance with Cytokine Immunotherapy
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · YALE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11181037
This project tries a modified immune protein called DR18 to help people whose melanoma did not respond to or stopped responding to checkpoint inhibitor treatments.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | YALE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11181037 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you have melanoma that stopped responding to checkpoint blockers, this work tries an engineered immune protein called DR18 to reawaken tumor-fighting cells. DR18 is designed to resist a natural blocker (IL-18BP) that limited earlier IL-18 drugs and to activate CD8 T cells and natural killer cells. It has shown promise in lab and animal models and a clinical-grade version is being developed for human testing, including an early first-in-human trial. Researchers plan to test DR18 alone and in combination with anti-PD-1 drugs to try to overcome treatment resistance in advanced melanoma.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with unresectable or metastatic melanoma who have not responded to, or who later progressed on, immune checkpoint inhibitors are the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage melanoma already cured by surgery, those with cancers other than melanoma, or individuals with medical conditions that make immunotherapy unsafe are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could restore immune control over tumors and improve responses for patients with melanoma that is resistant to current checkpoint therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous trials of recombinant IL-18 failed because of a natural blocker (IL-18BP), so this decoy-resistant version is a novel approach that showed positive results in preclinical studies and is now entering early human testing.
Where this research is happening
NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES
- YALE UNIVERSITY — NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: RING, AARON MICHAEL — YALE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: RING, AARON MICHAEL
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 below.