The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $159,540 Project Grant under the Cancer Research Manpower (CFDA 93.398) federal grant program to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). The grant supports research to characterize and overcome major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-mediated immune evasion in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The proposed research aims to functionally and molecularly characterize MHC-I-low breast tumors, and evaluate combination...
The National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.396 - Cancer Biology Research) awarded a $571,496 Project Grant to the University of Toledo Health Science Campus Division to conduct research aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which the tumor-intrinsic TAZ expression regulates the tumor microenvironment and immune suppressive cells like myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The research project, titled "Dissecting Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor-Induced...
This federal Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research) provides $619,764 to the University of Wisconsin - Madison to develop new combination immunotherapy strategies for treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The key objectives are to: 1) increase the tumor-selective accumulation of a platelet-mediated immune checkpoint inhibitor (P-aPDL1) by triggering local thrombus formation in TNBC tumors, and 2) modulate the immunosuppressive...
This federal Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.398 Cancer Research Manpower) in the amount of $121,857 aims to systematically investigate how anti-cancer drugs modulate T cells in the tumor microenvironment. The key objectives are to: Conduct in silico screening to identify anti-cancer drugs impacting T cell effector function, activation, stemness, and proliferation (Aim I). Perform single-cell CRISPR knockout screening to determine anti-cancer drug targets...
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $226,504 Project Grant (CFDA 93.396 - Cancer Biology Research) to the Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia (UVA) to elucidate the role of B/T cell-enriched immune aggregates in immune surveillance against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The project aims to study how these novel immune aggregates form and function to control pre-malignant progression of TNBC, which could inform future strategies to enhance immune surveillance...
This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research) supports the development of a CD4 TCR-engineered T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The award of $1,001,029.00 will fund the generation of a GMP-grade master cell bank and viral particles for the IMT-422 (CD4 TCR-STEM T cells) product, as well as the determination of its pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and toxicity. This work aims to accelerate the...
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $149,804 Project Grant under the Cancer Research Manpower (CFDA 93.398) program to the University of Pittsburgh. The award will fund research to investigate the impact of the LAG3 protein on CD8+ T cell motility and migration in the context of cancer immunotherapy. The project aims to elucidate the mechanism by which LAG3 restricts T cell motility and determine if reduced motility impacts T cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. The...
This federal Project Grant award from the Defense Health Agency under the Military Medical Research and Development (CFDA 12.420) program provides $346,319.00 to the University of Pittsburgh to conduct research on "INTRAGENIC REARRANGEMENT BURDEN AS A GENOMIC PREDICTOR OF IMMUNOTHERAPY BENEFIT IN TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER." The award period runs from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2027. The University of Pittsburgh, a major public research university, will leverage its expertise in...
This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.396 - Cancer Biology Research) provides $719,799 to Health Research, Inc. at Roswell Park in Buffalo, NY to conduct research on the impact of metabolic adaptations on the tumor microenvironment in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The key objectives are to investigate the bifunctional mechanisms of the PFKFB4 enzyme in regulating metabolic and genetic plasticity in the TNBC tumor microenvironment, and to...
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, awarded a $101,340 Project Grant under the Cancer Research Manpower (CFDA 93.398) federal grant program to the Regents of the University of Michigan. The award will fund research to investigate the role of the MS4A14 protein in regulating macrophage activation and antigen presentation, with the goal of improving immunotherapy response in cancer patients. The research...
This federal Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.398 Cancer Research Manpower program) provides $165,486 to the University of Pittsburgh to investigate how the MALT1 protein promotes immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The project aims to characterize MALT1 protease-dependent secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines from TNBC cells and evaluate a MALT1 protease activity gene signature for predicting the tumor immune microenvironment status in TNBC. The award period runs from December 24, 2024 to June 30, 2028. This research seeks to identify innovative ways to harness the tumor immune microenvironment and enable more effective immunotherapy for TNBC, which lacks well-established targeted therapies.