This Project Grant award of $647,632 from the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) supports research by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to develop and evaluate "TNF-ALPHA-ARMED" T-cell receptor (TCR) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) vectors for enhancing adoptive cell therapy against solid tumors.
The key objectives are to: 1) Assess the impact of co-delivering transgenic TNF-alpha with TCR or CAR constructs on T-cell anti-tumor functionality and toxicology in humanized mouse xenograft models, as well as analyze the tumor microenvironment response; and 2) Explore the T-cell intrinsic effects of increased TNF-alpha activity on functional phenotype and signaling under chronic antigen stimulation.
The anticipated outcomes are to demonstrate that this innovative approach of arming TCR/CAR-T cells with TNF-alpha can augment anti-tumor efficacy without increasing systemic toxicity, thereby advancing the next generation of adoptive T-cell therapies for solid tumors. The award started on March 11, 2025 and is scheduled for completion by February 28, 2030.
Generated 3/25/25, 4:10 AM