Vaccine to normalize blood vessels in kidney cancer and boost tumor-fighting T cells
Vaccine Targeting of RCC Blood Vessels to Promote TME Normalization and Enhance TIL Recruitment
A vaccine approach aims to repair abnormal tumor blood vessels in people with renal cell (kidney) cancer so immune cells can enter and fight the tumor better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168981 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are developing a vaccine that targets molecules on blood vessels feeding kidney tumors to make those vessels less leaky and more normal. In animal studies and early human observations, this vascular normalization reduced low oxygen and helped organized immune structures form inside tumors that attract less-exhausted T cells. The team will study how the vaccine changes the tumor immune environment, how it brings T cells into tumors, and why responses differ between sexes. If successful, the work could guide combining the vaccine with other immunotherapies to improve outcomes for people with renal cell carcinoma.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), particularly those with measurable tumors and who can attend visits at the study site, would be the primary candidates.
Not a fit: People without kidney cancer or whose tumors lack the specific blood-vessel targets are unlikely to receive benefit from this vaccine approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help existing immunotherapies work better by increasing useful immune cells inside kidney tumors and potentially improving clinical outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Early preclinical work and some human responses to related vascular-targeting vaccines have shown promising signs of vascular normalization and immune clustering, but the approach remains emerging.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Storkus, Walter J. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Storkus, Walter J.
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 below.