The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a 2-year, $163,296 Project Grant under the Cancer Research Manpower (CFDA 93.398) program to Harvard Medical School to conduct research on the role of the cytokine IL-27 in promoting anti-tumor cytotoxic CD8+ T cell responses. The project aims to (1) define the mechanisms by which IL-27 drives CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity against tumors, and (2) determine the mechanisms regulating IL-27 production. Key planned activities include comparing the cytotoxic functions of wild-type and IL27RA knockout mouse CD8+ T cells in tumors, assessing the effects of IL-27 on human CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity, and identifying the cell types that produce IL-27 in the tumor microenvironment. The project may lead to new approaches for treating cancer patients by modulating the IL-27 pathway. As a sub-grantee, Harvard Medical School has contributed expertise in structural biology, data visualization, biostatistics, neuroethics, and healthcare policy research to prior multi-institutional collaborations funded by federal agencies.
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