# Myeloid Syk promotes tumor immunosuppression and inhibits anti-tumor adaptive immunity

> **NIH NIH K22** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2022 · $161,230

## Abstract

Abstract: The activation of the immune response to yield durable antitumor immunity and anti-cancer activity
has become a reality. However, an unmet medical need exists in that not all cancer patients respond to anti-PD1
or other checkpoint inhibitors currently in clinical use. This has led to a push to identify other negative regulators
of the innate and adaptive immune response for anti-cancer therapeutics. Myeloid cells including macrophages
and myeloid derived suppressor cells, play important roles in mediating tumor growth and immunosuppression.
The long-term goal is to better understand the signaling mechanisms in myeloid cells which mediate tumor
immunosuppression and anti-tumor immunity observed in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The objective in
this particular application is to determine the role of myeloid Syk kinase in mediating macrophage mediated
immunosuppression and to test Syk or novel dual Syk/PI3K inhibitors in combination with αPD1 mAb for maximal
adaptive immune response against the tumor. The central hypothesis motivating this research is that Syk kinase
programs Mos to immunosuppressive phenotype in the TME and its inhibition along with PI3K and/or a check
point inhibitors will activate anti-tumor immune responses. This hypothesis has been formulated on the basis of
genetic evidence generated in our laboratory utilizing PI3Kγ -/- and Syk-/- murine models for immuno-oncology.
The rationale for the proposed research is that understanding molecular mechanisms by which myeloid Syk
promote immunosuppression has the potential to translate Syk and dual Syk/ PI3K inhibitors to treat cancers
driven by the Mo-dependent immunosuppressive TME. Guided by strong preliminary data, this hypothesis will
be tested by pursuing three specific aims: Aim 1, we will determine the role of Syk kinase in tumor growth and
immunosuppression. Aim 2 we will determine the mechanism by which the Syk kinase regulates
immunosuppressive transcriptional programming in macrophages including changes in the Mo transcriptome.
Aim 3 we will determine the effect of either Syk inhibitor or dual Syk/PI3K inhibitor in combination with
immunotherapy modulators to augment anti-tumor immune response. The approach is innovative because it
utilizes a novel small-molecule inhibitory chemotype, SRX3207 which hits both targets, Syk and PI3K in kinase
and cell based assays and that both inhibition activate antitumor immunity. The significance of our proposal lies
in our capacity to provide an optimizable promising single anticancer agent which will potently activate the
immune response via multiple orthogonal mechanisms and result in a durable antitumor immune response. The
candidate is firmly committed to a career in cancer research and is strongly supported by the institution for her
pathway to independence. She is an Assistant Project Scientist in Division of Pediatrics at University of
California, San Diego. The outlined proposal builds on the candidate’s previous resear...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10299615
- **Project number:** 5K22CA229594-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Shweta Joshi
- **Activity code:** K22 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $161,230
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-12-01 → 2023-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10299615

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10299615, Myeloid Syk promotes tumor immunosuppression and inhibits anti-tumor adaptive immunity (5K22CA229594-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10299615. Licensed CC0.

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