# Regulation of dendritic cell function and tumor immunity by TIM-3

> **NIH NIH R01** · H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CTR & RES INST · 2020 · $393,450

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Regulation of dendritic cell function and tumor immunity by TIM-3
Tumor immunity is predicated upon the de novo activation and expansion of antigen-specific cytotoxic T
lymphocytes. However, to impact tumor growth these T cells must also infiltrate into tumors, overcome a
suppressive environment, and avoid becoming exhausted in the presence of persistent antigen, barriers that
are thought to be major impediments to immunotherapy. Conventional dendritic cells are well established as
the central inducers of the adaptive immune response, but emerging evidence suggests they may also play in
supporting T cell activity within peripheral tissues, including tumors. In support of this, we have found that TIM-
3 (T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing-3) is highly expressed by tumor dendritic cells, and that
TIM-3 blockade induces expression of the chemokine CXCL9 in vitro and in vivo, thereby promoting T cell
cytotoxic effector function in models of mammary carcinoma. Here we propose to identify the dendritic cell
activation pathways altered by TIM-3, determine if non-migratory dendritic cells maintain T cell function within
tumors, and determine the role of CXCL9 expression by dendritic cells in tumor immunity. These studies will
delineate a putative dendritic cell regulatory pathway and improve our understanding of the role of dendritic
cells within tumors, both factors that may have important implications for the design of combinatorial
immunotherapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10018832
- **Project number:** 5R01CA230610-02
- **Recipient organization:** H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CTR & RES INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Brian Ruffell
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $393,450
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-16 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10018832

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10018832, Regulation of dendritic cell function and tumor immunity by TIM-3 (5R01CA230610-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10018832. Licensed CC0.

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