Using dogs to improve CAR-T cell therapy for cancer treatment

Dogs as a high fidelity, high throughput model to evaluate CAR-T cell function and dysfunction

NIH-funded research Colorado State University · NIH-10925383

This study is looking at how well a special cancer treatment called CAR-T cell therapy works in dogs, to help improve it for people with tough-to-treat blood cancers.

Quick facts

Grant typeFellowship grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionColorado State University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Fort Collins, United States)
Project IDNIH-10925383 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on developing a pre-clinical platform that uses dogs as a model to evaluate the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy, which has shown promise in treating certain types of blood cancers. By utilizing dogs, which have a more similar immune system and cancer biology to humans compared to traditional mouse models, the study aims to better understand how CAR-T cells can be optimized for targeting tumors. The research will assess both the design of the CAR and the biology of the T cells to enhance their ability to fight cancer. This approach could lead to more effective treatments for patients with relapsed or refractory B cell malignancies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are patients with relapsed or refractory B cell malignancies who may benefit from advanced CAR-T cell therapies.

Not a fit: Patients with solid tumors that are not B cell malignancies may not receive direct benefits from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved CAR-T therapies that are more effective in treating various cancers in humans.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown success in using animal models to evaluate cancer therapies, but this specific approach using dogs is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Fort Collins, 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.
Last reviewed 2026-06-14 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.