Award
National Cancer Institute 1K22CA303768-01A1
Modulating B7-H3 to improve engineered T cell therapies for cancer
Recipient
Purdue University
Award Amount
$190,969.00
Ceiling
$190,969.00
Awarded
July 21, 2026
Identifier
1K22CA303768-01A1
The award funds research to improve engineered T cell therapies for solid tumors by modulating the tumor-associated antigen B7-H3 to enhance CAR T cell efficacy.
Description
This research study aims to investigate the adverse impact of B7-H3, a tumor-associated antigen with reported immunosuppressive activity, on CAR T cells, and develop a T cell engineering strategy to effectively harness B7-H3 for the enhancement of T cell anti-tumor activity. The study explores novel synthetic receptors to disrupt B7-H3 expression and stimulate T cells, converting inhibitory effects into co-stimulatory signals, thereby enhancing CAR T cell efficacy. The discoveries can potentially improve the potency of T cell therapies for a broad range of cancers.