Using tumor-targeting viruses to boost CAR T cell treatment for solid tumors
Official title: Re-purposing Oncolytic Virotherapy to Re-invigorate CAR T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors.
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11237992 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work aims to help CAR T cell therapy work better for people with solid tumors by combining CAR T cells with cancer-killing viruses that ramp up the immune response.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $363,713 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269384-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237992 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with solid cancers who are eligible for CAR T–based clinical trials or for experimental combination therapies at a specialized center.
✕Less likely to help
People with blood cancers already well served by existing CAR T products or those with severe immune suppression or contraindications to viral therapies may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers take CAR T cells and load them with oncolytic (cancer-targeting) viruses outside the body, then deliver them systemically to create a more inflammatory tumor environment and improve CAR T trafficking and function. In mouse models this produced dual-specific, memory-like CAR T cells that persisted longer and had stronger anti-tumor activity than CAR T or virus alone. The project will refine how the virus is paired with CAR T cells, optimize dosing and delivery, and work toward approaches that could be translated into human trials. The goal is a safe regimen that makes CAR T therapy more effective for a wider range of solid tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make CAR T treatment more effective and longer-lasting for patients with solid tumors that currently respond poorly.
How similar studies have gone: Similar combinations of oncolytic viruses and cellular immunotherapies have shown promising results in animal studies, but human data remain limited.
Where this research is happening
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Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vile, Richard G. — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Vile, Richard G.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Remote-controlled PC-CAR T cells for hard-to-treat solid tumors
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Improving CAR T cell therapy for lung and other solid tumors
This project works to make CAR T cell therapy more effective for people with lung and other solid tumors by building realistic tumor models and testing ways to overcome the tumors' immune defenses.
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This study is testing a new way to make CAR T cell therapy work better for kids with solid tumors by using special T cells that target a protein called B7-H3, and it aims to see how safe and effective these modified cells are in helping children whose tumors haven't responded to other treatments.
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Using oncolytic viruses to enhance CAR T cell therapy for solid tumors
This study is looking at how using special viruses with CAR T cell therapy might help make the treatment work better for people with solid tumors by helping the CAR T cells find and attack the cancer more effectively.
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Improving CAR T cell therapy for lung cancer
This study is looking at ways to make CAR T cell therapy work better for lung cancer by creating a model that simulates the tumor environment, helping researchers figure out why it struggles with solid tumors and how to improve treatment for patients.
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.