Project Grant R03CA252818

This Project Grant from the National Cancer Institute, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, provides $390,000 to Thomas Jefferson University under the Cancer Biology Research program. The grant will fund research from August 2021 to July 2023 to investigate the role of the Toll-like Receptor 4-fibronectin extracellular matrix protein pathway in the malignant microenvironment of early cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Specifically, the university researchers will determine the impact of this signaling pathway on tumor growth and macrophage phenotype and function using an optimized murine model. This work aims to further the understanding of how dysregulation of the extracellular matrix and tumor immunosuppression interact in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The results may provide insight on macrophage-mediated immune suppression in cancer more broadly.