Project Grant HT94252310274

This $394,687 Project Grant was awarded on August 18, 2025 by the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research) to the University of Florida (UF) to support research on enhancing antitumor efficacy by intratumoral delivering of LAIR1 inhibitory signaling. The research aims to target tumor-associated myeloid cells, which play a significant role in cancer immunosuppression and progression. By inhibiting the LAIR1 receptor on these cells, the project seeks to disrupt an...

This $639,098 Project Grant from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research) aims to develop an effective treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer. The award supports research by the University of Rochester to target both intrinsic and extrinsic barriers that promote metastasis and treatment resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The key products or services to be delivered include: Investigating a novel combination therapy of localized...

The National Cancer Institute awarded Oncotrap Inc. a $400,000 Project Grant to develop an aptamer-directed IgG1-Fc drug conjugate (AFDC) platform for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The project aims to validate the ability of the APTPDAC aptamer to selectively kill PDAC cells and create a potent AFDC targeting PDAC cells. Additionally, the project will evaluate the in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of the AFDC in PDAC mouse models and identify the target cell surface...

The Project Grant award of $137,995.00 from the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) will support the development of an engineered living material (ELM) as a programmable therapeutic implant for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (UEI: DPMGH9MG1X67). The project aims to encapsulate drug-producing bacteria within an implantable hydrogel matrix to enable localized, dynamic, and tunable therapeutic...

This $379,981 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research) aims to develop a localized cancer immunotherapy using particle-anchored cytokines for prolonged intratumoral retention. The primary objectives are to: (I) develop liposome-anchored cytokines with extended tumor retention and minimal systemic leakage, and (II) elucidate the mechanisms by which particle-anchored cytokines elicit durable anti-tumor immunity to improve efficacy in poorly...

This Project Grant award, valued at $1,419,108, was provided by the National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Treatment Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.395). The grant supports research to advance the understanding of how a novel neoadjuvant therapy, combining Pepinemab (an antibody that blocks Semaphorin 4D) with immune checkpoint blockade (Nivolumab and/or Ipilimumab), impacts the immune system in patients with solid tumors, using refractory melanoma as a model. Key findings from a...

This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 Cancer Treatment Research) aims to investigate the role of bacteria-derived small molecules in improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) cancer immunotherapy. The $540,288 award to the University of Florida supports research to identify specific bacteria from ICI-responsive patients that produce small molecules capable of enhancing anti-tumor immune responses and boosting the effects of ICI treatment....

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), under the Federal grant program "Cancer Treatment Research" (CFDA 93.395), awarded Persistence Therapeutics, Inc. $629,370 on September 22, 2025 to support the development of a novel CAR T cell therapy approach called "SynthNode." This implantable device mimics the function of a synthetic lymph node, producing potent antigen-specific cells that persist for improved patient outcomes. The project aims to address key challenges in current CAR...

This Project Grant award of $406,500.00, provided by the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 Cancer Treatment Research), supports the development of a novel intratumoral delivery system by Absco Therapeutics, Inc. (Abscotx) to enhance solid tumor immunotherapy. The core innovation is a thermoresponsive hydrogel platform that enables sustained, localized delivery of therapeutic agents such as immune-sensitizing siRNA and the TLR7 agonist imiquimod. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the...

This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 Cancer Treatment Research) provides $400,000 to Senex Biotechnology Inc. to develop a nanoparticle formulation of a mediator kinase inhibitor drug candidate, SNX631-6, for the treatment of peritoneal ovarian cancer metastases. The goal is to optimize the nanoparticle formulation for improved pharmacokinetics and efficacy compared to oral administration when delivered intraperitoneally. The project will assess the...