This federal Project Grant award, provided by the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research), aims to develop novel viral-based cancer therapies using a highly attenuated lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (R3LCMV) for the treatment of mucosal melanoma. The $667,553 grant, awarded to Northwestern University, has two key objectives:
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Evaluating whether neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) administration of R3LCMV can improve disease-free survival in dogs with naturally occurring mucosal melanoma, through a placebo-controlled veterinary clinical trial.
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Assessing the impact of R3LCMV treatment on the phenotype, ex-vivo function, and clinical efficacy of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) generated from canine mucosal melanoma tumors, to improve adoptive cellular therapies.
The project leverages the naturally occurring oral mucosal melanoma model in companion dogs as a translational platform for this novel viral immunotherapy approach. Northwestern University is collaborating with The Ohio State University as a sub-grantee on this research effort.
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