Project Grant F30CA294669

This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.398 - Cancer Research Manpower) to Case Western Reserve University's Office of Research Administration Division (doing business as University Hospitals of Cleveland) totals $107,948 and runs from December 16, 2024 to June 30, 2028. The award will fund research to define the features of the immune response against the EGFR L858R mutation, which is a common driver mutation in lung cancer. The research aims to fully characterize the immunogenicity of the L858R neoantigen and determine the ability of L858R-specific T cells to suppress tumor growth. This work employs cutting-edge genetic and computational approaches to generate a detailed understanding of adaptive immunity against somatic mutations in tumors, with the goal of informing the development of adoptive T cell therapies for lung cancer patients. The project builds on the awardee's preliminary findings showing that the L858R-derived peptides can bind to and stabilize MHC complexes, stimulating a stronger CD8+ T cell response compared to the wild-type EGFR peptides.