Weakened virus therapy to boost immune attack on mucosal melanoma
Improving Mucosal Melanoma Therapy by Harnessing the Immunogenicity of r3LCMV
A weakened virus designed to boost the immune system to fight mucosal melanoma in patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251321 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are using a highly weakened form of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (called r3LCMV) that they inject directly into tumors to wake up the immune system. They will test how well this approach shrinks tumors and whether it prompts immune attacks at other tumor sites in lab mice and in pet dogs that naturally develop oral mucosal melanoma. The team will measure immune responses, monitor safety, and explore combining the virus with other immune therapies. If results are promising, this work could guide future human trials at Northwestern and partner clinics.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with mucosal melanoma who have tumors accessible for direct injection, especially those with limited options from current treatments.
Not a fit: People with other cancer types, tumors that cannot be reached for injection, or severely weakened immune systems may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to a new treatment that helps the immune system attack mucosal melanoma and shrink tumors, including those that are hard to treat now.
How similar studies have performed: Other oncolytic virus therapies have shown benefits for melanoma and bladder cancer and r3LCMV-based vaccines are already in early human testing, but using r3LCMV injected into tumors without added antigens is still mainly supported by animal data.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pollack, Seth M — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Pollack, Seth M
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.