What controls CD8 immune cells' behavior in cancer
Dissecting the enhancer logic governing immune cell fate decisions
Researchers are turning tiny DNA switches in CD8 immune cells on and off to learn how those cells become effective fighters or exhausted within cancers like melanoma and liver cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11407916 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will edit regulatory DNA elements called enhancers in CD8 T cells to uncover which switches push cells toward active anti-tumor roles or toward exhaustion. The team will use loss- and gain-of-function enhancer editing in living systems and compare how T cells behave in the tumor environments of melanoma versus hepatocellular (liver) cancer. They will trace early signaling events and intermediate cell states to map cause-and-effect relationships in T cell fate decisions. Work will combine preclinical models with tumor tissue analyses to guide strategies that could later be tested in patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with melanoma or hepatocellular (liver) cancer who can donate tumor samples or enroll in future related clinical trials would be the most relevant participants.
Not a fit: People without cancer or those with cancers that do not involve CD8 T cell responses are unlikely to benefit directly from this research in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reprogram or support CD8 T cells so cancer immunotherapies work better.
How similar studies have performed: Some existing immunotherapies can revive exhausted T cells, but directly editing enhancers to change CD8 cell fate is a newer, mostly preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sen, Debattama Rai — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Sen, Debattama Rai
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.