In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma
NCI - National Cancer Institute
About This Grant
PROJECT SUMMARY The clinical benefit of CAR T cells that target B Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) for multiple myeloma (MM) patients has led to landmark regulatory approvals since 2021. Yet clinical application of CAR T cells in MM has been hampered by prohibitive costs and manufacturing issues including lengthy vein-to-vein time, severely limiting patient access. While ‘off-the-shelf’ BCMA-directed CD3 T cell engagers have also received accelerated approvals, their short half-lives require frequent and ongoing dosing. Emerging strategies to solve these challenges include in vivo engineering of circulating T cells, using viral vectors or polymeric/lipid nanoparticles functionalized with pan-T cell antibodies to deliver plasmid DNA or mRNA encoding CAR transgenes. While promising, the limited specificity of these approaches can lead to transfection of autoimmune and regulatory T cells, which can increase off-target toxicity, break self-tolerance and reduce treatment efficacy. This proposal seeks to develop Ag-presenting lipid nanoparticles (APNs) to deliver BCMA CAR mRNA to defined immune effector cell subsets for MM treatment. Therapy studies will be evaluated using MM mouse models grafted with both non-autologous (i.e., healthy donors) and autologous (i.e., patient derived) T cells. In both models, the impact of boosting BCMA CAR T cells using dendritic cell vaccines will be evaluated. The use of animal models is necessary for this project to emulate critical features such as systemic immune interactions, full tumor microenvironment heterogeneity, trafficking and persistence of CAR T cells, and whole-body pharmacokinetics and toxicity profiles. These can only be assessed in an in intact physiological system and murine models represent the least sentient system capable of accounting for these immune and biological responses. If successful, the proposal is expected to impact myeloma patients by significantly reducing manufacturing complexities, lowering costs, improving anti-cancer responses and broadening patient access to BCMA CAR T cell therapy.
Grant Summary
In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma is a NCI - National Cancer Institute grant providing up to $706K for university, nonprofit, healthcare org. Applications are due 2031-05-31 (open). Check eligibility and apply with FindGrants.
Focus Areas
Eligibility
How to Apply
Up to $706K
2031-05-31
- 1Confirm your organization is eligible for In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma from NCI - National Cancer Institute, checking organization type, location, and any population or project requirements.
- 2Gather the required documents and information, including your organization details, project plan, and budget figures.
- 3Draft your application narrative and budget addressing the funder's priorities and review criteria. FindGrants can draft each section for you to review and edit.
- 4Review every section against the requirements checklist, then export a submission-ready application pack and submit it to NCI - National Cancer Institute before the deadline.
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In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma?
In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma is offered by NCI - National Cancer Institute and is generally open to university, nonprofit, healthcare org. It is open to organizations nationwide unless the funder specifies otherwise. Review the specific eligibility terms before applying, since funders set their own requirements around organization type, location, and the population or project being served.
How much funding does the In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma provide?
In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma provides up to $706K per award from NCI - National Cancer Institute. Actual award sizes depend on the scope of your project, available program funds, and the number of applicants, so build a budget that reflects realistic, allowable costs rather than the maximum figure.
When is the In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma deadline?
Applications for In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma are due 2031-05-31 (open). Because deadlines can change, verify the date with the funder, NCI - National Cancer Institute, and give yourself enough time to prepare a complete, competitive application before the close date.
How do you apply for the In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma?
To apply for In Vivo Engineering of Virus-Specific T Cells for CAR T Cell Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma, confirm your eligibility, gather the required documents, and prepare a narrative and budget that address the funder's priorities. FindGrants guides you step by step and can draft each section, then exports a submission-ready application pack for this grant from NCI - National Cancer Institute.