Using HLA-B44 tumor markers to predict lasting benefit from PD-1 therapy in lung cancer
Official title: HLA B44 motif neoepitopes in NSCLC: Evaluating their effects on the TME and adding them to established markers in a model to predict durable benefit from PD- 1 inhibition with and without chemotherapy
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11210786 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether specific tumor changes tied to the HLA-B44 gene can help predict which non-small cell lung cancer patients will have long-lasting responses to PD-1 immunotherapy, with or without chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $225,068 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA276917-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11210786 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with non-small cell lung cancer, especially those who can provide surgical tumor samples or have tumor sequencing data and who may be considered for PD-1–based therapy.
✕Less likely to help
People without non-small cell lung cancer, those who cannot provide tumor tissue or sequencing data, or patients whose tumors lack the HLA-B44-related features are unlikely to be helped directly by participating.
What this research studies
If I join, the team will check my tumor for HLA-B44 motif neoepitopes and compare those tumors to others in large genomic databases. They will use gene expression data and computerized analyses to describe differences in the tumor microenvironment, and they will study actual surgical tumor samples with multiplex immunofluorescence to see where immune cells and proteins sit in the tumor. The researchers will combine these biological features with existing clinical markers to build a predictive model for durable responses to PD-1 blockade given alone or with chemotherapy. The work focuses especially on patients who carry HLA-B44 alleles because of how common they are across groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors identify who is more likely to get a long-lasting benefit from PD-1 immunotherapy and guide more personalized treatment choices.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown PD-1 drugs produce durable responses in a minority of NSCLC patients and earlier analyses linked charged HLA-B pockets and motif neoepitopes to better outcomes, but combining spatial tumor features and modeling for prediction is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
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University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Garon, Edward B — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Garon, Edward B
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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HLA-B44 motif neoepitopes in NSCLC and how they affect the tumor environment
This grant studies how specific tumor mutations and HLA-B44 genetic patterns influence response to PD-1 inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer, with the goal of better predicting who benefits from immunotherapy.
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HLA-B44 genetic markers to predict long-term benefit from PD-1 immunotherapy in lung cancer
This project looks at whether certain HLA-B44-related tumor changes can help predict which people with non-small cell lung cancer will get lasting benefit from PD‑1 immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy.
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Investigating how specific tumor markers affect lung cancer treatment responses
This study is looking at how certain genetic markers in lung cancer tumors might affect how well a specific immunotherapy works, and it's for patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have a certain genetic type, helping to find more personalized treatment options for them.
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Investigating the effects of specific tumor markers in lung cancer treatment
This study is looking at how certain genetic markers in people with non-small cell lung cancer might affect their response to a type of immunotherapy called PD-1 inhibitors, so we can better understand which patients could benefit the most from this treatment.
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Photodynamic lipids to boost chemotherapy for metastatic ovarian cancer
A patient-friendly approach tests a light-activated method to make ovarian cancer metastases more sensitive to chemotherapy.
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7-marker protein test to predict NSCLC response to anti-PD-1 therapy
A Johns Hopkins team is testing a 7-marker protein test to help predict which advanced NSCLC patients will respond to anti-PD-1 therapy.
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.