Using virus-trained immune cells to help fight solid tumors
Official title: Therapeutically harnessing anti-viral resident memory T cells in solid tumors
Funded at Dartmouth College · NIH-11250987 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try reawakening virus-fighting immune cells inside tumors to help people with solid cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hanover, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $494,877 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269455-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11250987 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with solid tumors who are eligible for early-phase immunotherapy studies and who may have prior viral immunity could be good candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors lack virus-specific resident memory T cells or who cannot receive immunotherapy due to autoimmune disease or strong immunosuppression may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will focus on immune cells inside tumors that remember past viral infections and are less worn out than cancer-specific cells. They will use small pieces of viral proteins (peptides) to wake these cells and test whether that sparks tumor-killing activity. Work will combine laboratory mouse experiments with studies of human tumor samples and may test combinations with existing immune checkpoint drugs. The team will study how these cells kill cancer and how best to deliver the treatment so any benefit lasts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new immunotherapies that use a patient’s own virus-specific immune cells to shrink tumors and lower the chance of cancer coming back.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies in mice have shown tumor control when virus-specific resident memory T cells are reactivated, but applying this approach in people is new.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth College
Hanover, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosato, Pamela — Dartmouth College
- Study coordinator: Rosato, Pamela
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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.