Using IL-1 to enhance treatment for advanced head and neck cancer
Official title: IL-1-based immunotherapy in HNSCC
Funded at Iowa City VA Medical Center · NIH-11050512 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at whether adding a special immune booster called interleukin-1 to regular treatments can help people with advanced head and neck cancer feel better and fight the disease more effectively.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa City VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2020 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 2I01BX004829-05A2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11050512 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who are undergoing standard treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage head and neck cancer or those who have already received extensive treatment may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the use of interleukin-1 (IL-1) as an additional treatment alongside standard therapies for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The approach aims to harness the immune response triggered by radiation therapy to improve patient outcomes. By combining IL-1 with radiation and chemoradiotherapy, the study seeks to enhance the effectiveness of these treatments in fighting cancer. Patients will be monitored for their immune response and overall health as part of this innovative treatment strategy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatment options and outcomes for patients with advanced head and neck cancer.
How similar studies have gone: While the use of immunotherapy in conjunction with radiation is being explored, this specific approach using IL-1 is novel and has not been extensively tested in prior studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa City VA Medical Center
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burnett, Andrean Llewela — Iowa City VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Burnett, Andrean Llewela
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Restoring responses to immunotherapy in metastatic lymph nodes in head and neck cancer
A clinical research project aims to improve how immunotherapy works when cancer has spread to lymph nodes in head and neck cancer patients.
-
Biomarkers for who will respond to immunotherapy in head and neck cancer
A team at the University of Pittsburgh is studying biomarkers to predict which people with head and neck cancer will respond to immunotherapies that target PD-1 and LAG-3.
-
Hypoxia and metabolism as targets to improve immunotherapy in head and neck cancer
This grant tests new combinations of metabolic drugs with immunotherapy to help people with head and neck cancer respond better to treatment.
-
Enhancing Dendritic Cell Movement to Lymph Nodes to Improve Immunotherapy in HPV-negative Head and Neck Cancer
This grant aims to help people with HPV-negative head and neck cancer respond better to immunotherapy by guiding immune cells to the right lymph nodes.
-
Targeting LAG3 to improve pre-surgery immunotherapy in head and neck cancer
This grant tests a combination immunotherapy before surgery to help people with head and neck cancer respond better to treatment.
-
Markers that predict response to LAG3 and PD‑1 immunotherapy for head and neck cancer
This project looks for tumor and blood markers to help predict which people with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma will respond to PD‑1 and LAG‑3 immunotherapies.
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.