Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded the Regents of the University of Michigan a $660,808 Project Grant under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to investigate the durability and functional role of tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) in melanoma immunotherapy response and long-term survival. The award, obligated on April 7, 2026, with a completion date of March 31, 2031, supports research examining how TRM cells—specifically a subset characterized by high interferon gamma expression (TRM-IFNG)—established at the time of primary melanoma diagnosis are recalled and expanded to mediate responses to immunotherapy treatment. The research integrates both preclinical melanoma mouse models and prospectively collected human patient specimens to understand the mechanisms linking primary melanoma immune responses to durable immunotherapy efficacy and the development of melanoma-associated vitiligo.

This investigation addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding how immune responses to primary melanoma affect patient recurrence and overall survival rates. Building on preliminary findings that identified TRM-IFNG cells as highly prognostic for improved survival and demonstrated their presence in patient tissues up to six years after initial diagnosis, the research aims to establish the requirement of these TRM responses for successful immunotherapy outcomes in the approximately 50 percent of metastatic melanoma patients who achieve meaningful treatment responses.