# Map Leukemia-immune Cell Talks with Nanoplasmon Ruler in CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $544,131

## Abstract

Map Leukemia-immune Cell Communication with Nanoplasmon Ruler in CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy
Genetically engineered T-cells modified with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) targeting CD19 provide an
innovative method for treating cancer, especially for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Unfortunately,
practical application of this immunotherapy is greatly hindered by the unsatisfactory CAR T-cell function, long-
lasting B cell aplasia and accompanied cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Improved therapeutic and preventive
treatments require comprehensive understanding of the complex and dynamic cytokine secretion behavior of
CAR T-cells and their communication with cancer cells and other immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
More importantly, real-time and traceable monitoring of both the location and timing of cytokine secretion would
enable mechanistic understanding of CAR T-cell physiopathology in initiation, activation, communication and
subsequent functional responses in leukemic bone marrow immunity. Such spatiotemporal monitoring technique
is critically lacking within existing clinical practices, which are primarily based on measurements under “static”
conditions. Thus, there is an emerging need for platforms that allow direct visualization and mapping of cytokine
production, diffusion, transportation for better understanding the highly heterogeneous functional diversity of
polyfunctional CAR T-cells and immune cell communications. To address this need, the central objectives of this
proposal are to develop novel integrated `nanoplamson ruler'-based nanosensing technology to resolve the
temporal dynamics of cytokine secretion from individual CD19 CAR T-cells and the crosstalk with B-ALL cells
and bone marrow immune suppressor cells. The success of this technology will allow, for the first time, the direct
visualization of multiplex cytokine secretion from individual CAR T-cell in a high-sensitivity, multiplex, label-free,
in situ and real-time traceable manner. The proposed platform would provide a detailed and time-dependent
mechanisms of how CAR T-cell response to stimulation and evolve in a suppressive niche for preclinical
screening of optimal, effective and safe CAR T-cell therapy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10059324
- **Project number:** 1R01CA243001-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Pengyu Chen
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $544,131
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10059324

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10059324, Map Leukemia-immune Cell Talks with Nanoplasmon Ruler in CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy (1R01CA243001-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10059324. Licensed CC0.

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