Project Grant R34CA308746
- Federal Grant Award Summary Medstar Health Research Institute Inc. received a $403,383 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) on June 1, 2025, with completion anticipated by May 31, 2027. The award supports the development and feasibility testing of a cognitive behavioral theory-assisted virtual reality (VR) therapeutic device prototype designed to address chronic cancer pain management. The project, conducted in...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded Brigham & Women's Hospital Inc. $199,694 in project grant funding on August 18, 2026, under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) to develop and test PROSPER, a resilience-promoting mobile health intervention designed to prevent chronic postsurgical pain in patients undergoing gynecologic oncology surgery. The award funds development of a perioperative psychological intervention adapted from Pain Coping and Resilience Therapy (PCRT),...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute $643,414 on August 1, 2026, under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) to develop an interleukin-21 mimic compound, designated 21H10, that enhances anti-tumor immunity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The research centers on combining 21H10 with KRAS inhibitors to convert transient therapeutic responses into durable remissions in pancreatic cancer. The compound was developed using AI-assisted computational...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded Brigham & Women's Hospital Inc. $529,801 on July 9, 2026, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to investigate mechanisms by which opioid hormone signaling suppresses CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte function and impairs immune checkpoint blockade efficacy in cancer. The research uses single-cell RNA sequencing and functional studies to characterize how tumor-derived opioids—specifically proenkephalin-derived peptides acting through...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. $766,699 on August 1, 2026, under the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research program (CFDA 93.393) to develop, implement, and test a family-centered web-based intervention for cancer risk communication in children and adolescents with genetic predisposition to cancer. The deliverable is Family RISE (Risk Information and Screening Education), a web-based platform designed to communicate genetic cancer risk information to...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded The MGH Institute of Health Professions, Inc. $696,498 on May 1, 2026, under the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research program (CFDA 93.393) to develop and optimize a multicomponent intervention for improving functional recovery and participation in life roles among breast cancer survivors. The research uses the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) framework to systematically test three remotely delivered intervention components: priority elicitation to...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. $388,616 on September 1, 2026, under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) to conduct prospective clinical validation of dynamic BH3 profiling as a functional biomarker for guiding treatment selection in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. The project develops and tests a novel assay that measures changes in apoptotic priming in leukemia cells after short ex vivo drug exposure. Dynamic...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded The General Hospital Corporation (Massachusetts General Hospital) $604,347 under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) on July 7, 2026, to conduct a multi-site randomized controlled trial of BREEZE+, a brief behavioral intervention for dyspnea management in patients with advanced lung cancer. BREEZE+ combines two nurse-led intervention sessions, a nurse-led booster session, and a digital health app designed to reinforce dyspnea management...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. $432,050 on August 17, 2026, under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394) to develop peptide-MHC pseudotyped retroviral vectors for in vivo gene delivery to antigen-specific T cells as a novel cancer immunotherapy approach. The work addresses a gap in current cancer immunotherapies by combining attributes of CAR-T cell therapies with tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte and immune checkpoint blockade...
- The National Cancer Institute, within the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. $718,275 on July 1, 2026, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to investigate context-specific pathway dependencies for nuclear envelope proteins in brain cancer. The research addresses how nuclear envelope-associated proteins perform distinct biochemical functions across different cellular contexts in central nervous system cancers. The project uses an...
The National Cancer Institute awarded Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. $340,737 on August 1, 2026, under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) to optimize and pilot test Healing Gardens, a serious game delivering cognitive behavioral therapy for pain tailored to advanced cancer patients managing chronic pain with opioids. Healing Gardens integrates multimedia cancer pain education with mini-games and gamified elements—including 2D animations, interactive feedback, and visual metaphors—designed to overcome logistical and disease-burden barriers that make traditional 60-minute pain-CBT sessions impractical for this population. The intervention addresses the clinical gap in pain management; approximately two-thirds of advanced cancer patients experience pain, and up to 60 percent receive inadequate relief despite opioid therapy. Pain-CBT is the gold-standard psychological treatment for chronic pain, improving pain intensity, disability, and quality of life, but accessibility remains constrained for advanced cancer patients. Prior pilot testing of the app demonstrated high engagement but revealed user feedback that the survey component was burdensome and that patients desired a more comprehensive, standalone serious game experience. The current grant funds further refinement and pilot testing to establish readiness for an efficacy study. Place of performance is Boston, Massachusetts. The period of performance runs from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $340.7k | 7/30/26 |