# Studying factors controlling cancer progression and immune recognition in mouse models

> **NIH NIH R35** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2024 · $906,300

## Abstract

Summary
Over the past three decades, the Jacks laboratory has been a recognized leader in the development and
characterization of genetically engineered mouse models of cancer, among other pre-clinical models.
The laboratory has also studied human cancer specimens and datasets to validate finding from their
experimental systems and to advance discoveries toward clinical translation. While Jacks laboratory has
investigated many cancer types over time, this proposal is focused on models of lung adenocarcinoma
and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. By developing and deploying tools of genetic engineering and
genetic profiling, such as CRISPR-based methods and single-cell analysis, the laboratory has pioneered
new models and analytical approaches that have allowed for a deeper understanding of disease
progression, including interactions between developing tumors and the immune system. This proposal
builds on this foundation at the intersection of cancer biology and technology development to explore in
detail the molecular and cellular aspects of tumor evolution. Single-cell profile methods will be augmented
by spatial transcriptomics to characterize the changes in gene expression—in cancer cells as well as
other cell types within the tumor microenvironment—in situ, rather than in dissociated cells. Genes and
pathways implicated by this analysis will be subjected to functional analysis using organoid-based models
as well as in the autochthonous setting. A second major theme of this proposal is the further exploration
of tumor-immune interactions in lung cancer, which the laboratory has been studying for several years.
Following up on experiments investigating the factors that control T cell activation and dysfunction in the
setting of lung and pancreas cancer development, the laboratory will explore methods to provoke
effective anti-tumor T cell responses as well as an improved response to immunotherapy. These studies
will investigate the nature of the antigens and antigen combinations that induce effective T cell priming
and activation, including through prophylactic and therapeutic vaccinations. Results of these experiments
will inform new therapeutic approaches, including novel cancer vaccine strategies, in human cancer
patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10902077
- **Project number:** 5R35CA274464-03
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** TYLER E. JACKS
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $906,300
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-20 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10902077

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10902077, Studying factors controlling cancer progression and immune recognition in mouse models (5R35CA274464-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10902077. Licensed CC0.

---

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