Why some cancer immunotherapy drugs cause dangerous heart inflammation
Official title: CXCL9/10 Macrophage Induced CXCR3+ T-cell Recruitment to the Heart Contributes to Immunotherapy Myocarditis
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11158831 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing if blocking a chemical signal that draws T cells into the heart can prevent dangerous heart inflammation in people receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor cancer drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $117,863 |
| NIH project number | 5R03HL173146-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11158831 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced cancer or those who have experienced ICI-related myocarditis would be the patients most likely to benefit from this line of research.
✕Less likely to help
People not treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors or with heart disease from other non-immune causes are unlikely to be helped directly by this research.
What this research studies
This project looks at how immune cells and the signals they produce cause myocarditis linked to immune checkpoint inhibitors used for advanced cancer. Researchers use a mouse model that mimics ICI myocarditis, high-throughput single-cell immune profiling, and lab cell experiments to study macrophages that make CXCL9 and CXCL10 and the CXCR3+ T cells they attract. They will test drugs that block the CXCR3 pathway to see whether fewer T cells enter the heart and whether heart inflammation and survival improve in the model. Results will inform whether targeting this pathway could be a route toward preventing or treating ICI-related myocarditis in patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to treatments that prevent or reduce life-threatening myocarditis caused by immune checkpoint inhibitor cancer drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown T-cell and macrophage involvement in ICI myocarditis, but directly blocking CXCR3 in preclinical models is a newer approach that is still being tested.
Where this research is happening
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Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhu, Han — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Zhu, Han
Related research
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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.