Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Michigan's Regents received a $646,671 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395), effective May 15, 2026 through April 30, 2031. This research initiative focuses on developing and characterizing novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapeutics designed to maximize immunogenic cell death and immune activation for cancer treatment. The project addresses a critical clinical gap by identifying payload candidates with enhanced potency in both mouse and human cell systems, enabling preclinical evaluation of ADC immune mechanisms at clinically relevant doses. The research will delineate how selective Fc-receptor binding in high avidity low affinity (HALA) antibodies can optimize payload delivery and drive robust innate and adaptive immune responses, with the ultimate objective of designing rationally engineered ADC immunotherapies and effective combination regimens for clinical application.

The grant supports both fundamental laboratory research and mechanistic studies utilizing syngeneic tumor models to quantify ADC-driven immune activation pathways. This work directly advances NCI's mission to develop improved cancer treatment methods by bridging the translational gap between preclinical payload efficacy and clinically viable ADC therapeutic combinations, particularly in the context of immunotherapy approaches such as checkpoint inhibitor combinations that have demonstrated clinical promise.