# Mechanisms of Immunosurveillance for Lung Cancer-the Role of CD8+ T Cells in Tumor Tolerance Induction

> **NIH VA I01** · BALTIMORE VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Lung cancer remains the major cancer-related cause of death in the Western World and intense
efforts are directed toward the development of immunotherapy for the treatment of this disease.
While immunotherapy targeting cytotoxic T (CD8+ T) lymphocytes has been successful in several
malignancies, such as melanoma and prostate cancer, it has demonstrated only limited success
in lung cancer. Based on our laboratory’s work in lung transplantation, where we have
demonstrated a tolerogenic role for alloreactive CD8+ T cells, we have now generated preclinical
animal data which demonstrates that, unlike the case for other malignancies, the presence of
conventional CD8+ T cells can accelerate the growth of both transplantable as well as
carcinogen-induced lung cancer in a murine model. In this Merit Award application we propose
a series of coordinated but non-overlapping specific aims to delineate the tolerogenic role of CD8+
T cells in lung cancer, identify mechanisms responsible for CD8+ T cell-mediated downregulation
of the immune response, as well as define the interaction of CD8+ T cells with natural killer cells.
This proposal will extend our understanding of lung cancer-specific immunoregulation and
generate novel preclinical data that can be utilized for rational design of lung cancer- specific
novel therapeutic approaches for Veterans and the general population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10726575
- **Project number:** 5I01BX002299-07
- **Recipient organization:** BALTIMORE VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** ALEXANDER S. KRUPNICK
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-01-01 → 2025-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10726575

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10726575, Mechanisms of Immunosurveillance for Lung Cancer-the Role of CD8+ T Cells in Tumor Tolerance Induction (5I01BX002299-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10726575. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*