Using the liver to boost immune treatments for pancreatic cancer
Official title: Targeting the liver for immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11234286 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how the liver's reaction to pancreatic tumors might be used to help immune-based treatments work better for people with pancreatic cancer, especially when cancer has spread to the liver.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2016 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $347,344 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA197916-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11234286 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with pancreatic cancer—particularly those with liver metastases or at high risk of liver spread—are the most relevant candidates for this line of research.
✕Less likely to help
People whose pancreatic cancer has not involved the liver or who are receiving non-immune-based therapies may be less likely to see direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how pancreatic tumors send signals that activate liver cells to release proteins and recruit immune and support cells, creating an environment that can block immune therapies. They will combine laboratory models with patient-derived samples to identify the liver factors and immune pathways involved. The team aims to test strategies that reverse or block those liver-driven changes so T cells can better attack tumors. Successful findings could point toward new combination approaches that pair liver-targeted interventions with existing immunotherapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make immunotherapies more effective for people with pancreatic cancer that involves the liver, expanding treatment options and potentially improving outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Early studies have suggested the liver can blunt immune responses to cancer and targeting liver-driven immune changes is a relatively new approach with promising but still preliminary results.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beatty, Gregory L — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Beatty, Gregory L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how T cell receptors affect pancreatic cancer immunotherapy
A cancer research grant is exploring how specific T cells recognize pancreatic cancer and how that recognition might predict or improve responses to immunotherapy.
-
Novel virus therapy to help pancreatic cancer patients fight their disease
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-
Recombinant IL-33 Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer
A new immunotherapy approach using recombinant IL-33 aims to help people with pancreatic cancer by activating immune cells inside tumors to fight the cancer.
-
Blocking VIP signaling to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
This grant tests a new approach aimed at helping the immune system attack pancreatic cancer by blocking a signaling pathway that's dampening immune responses in tumors.
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Engineering smart nanoparticles to help the immune system fight pancreatic cancer
Aims to use tiny, specially designed particles to deliver cancer-fighting drugs and immune-boosting signals to pancreatic tumors to help the body attack the cancer.
-
TROP2-targeting CAR-NK therapy for pancreatic cancer
This project develops an off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapy engineered to target the TROP2 protein on pancreatic cancer cells.
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.