Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute awarded the Regents of the University of Minnesota a $573,262 Project Grant under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) on April 17, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2031. This award funds the development of autologous humanized leukemia models for immunotherapy testing—specifically, the creation of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models that incorporate both leukemia cells and immune cells derived from the same patient. The research addresses a critical gap in preclinical cancer research by overcoming limitations of current models that lack functional immune systems or use immunologically mismatched donor cells. The deliverables include establishment of two cohorts of autologous models using hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients at diagnosis and remission, with these models to be used for enhanced preclinical testing of bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies.

The funded research aims to generate innovative preclinical testing platforms that maintain intact patient-derived immune systems paired with diagnostic leukemia cells, thereby enabling more accurate assessment of how the cancer microenvironment and therapeutic interventions affect immune cell function. By developing these fully autologous humanized PDX models, the research is expected to provide deeper insights into immune-leukemia cell interactions and support optimization of immunotherapy approaches for hematologic malignancies, ultimately advancing better methods for treatment of neoplastic diseases consistent with the Cancer Biology Research program objectives.