Award
National Cancer Institute 5F31CA265165-05
Dogs as a high fidelity, high throughput model to evaluate CAR-T cell function and dysfunction
Recipient
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Award Amount
$49,538.00
Ceiling
$49,538.00
Awarded
August 04, 2025
Identifier
5F31CA265165-05
The award funds research to develop a canine model for evaluating CAR-T cell therapy, aiming to improve understanding and effectiveness of CAR-T treatments for solid tumors by using dogs as a translational model.
Description
This proposal aims to develop a pre-clinical platform to evaluate CAR-T therapy in a canine model. CAR-T cells have shown high remission rates in B cell malignancies, but their application in solid tumors is limited by current models. Pet dogs, with their outbred genetics and similar cancer biology, serve as a higher fidelity translational model. The project will design CAR constructs targeting tumor antigens GD2, FolR1, and CD20, evaluate their efficacy in primary canine T cells, and assess their trafficking and persistence in vivo using clonal tracking and single-cell sequencing.