# Vulnerability of SARS- CoV-2 Infection in Lung Cancer Based on Serological Antibody Analyses

> **NIH NIH U54** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2024 · $599,601

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The Mount Sinai U54 continues to accrue new lung cancer (LC) patients to its large, highly annotated
longitudinal cohort with routine specimen collection. Updated research focus areas include: 1) the ability
of patients with lung cancer to maintain robust immune responses to infections and/or vaccinations related
to novel variants; 2) the long-term health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with lung
cancer; and 3) biologic factors that influence SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility using in vitro modeling. The
magnitude, quality, breadth and durability of the systemic and mucosal immune responses elicited by
influenza virus and RSV vaccinations will be determined in comparison to SARS-CoV-2 in LC patients.
Key areas to be addressed here include the effects of: vaccine platform, timing of vaccination, concordance
or discordance of patient immune response to differing vaccines, a more detailed understanding of the
effects of cancer treatment, and the correlation between cellular and antibody response. The Mount Sinai
finding that vaccination for influenza was associated with a subsequent induction of SARS-CoV-2 anti-
spike Abs in our patients will be validated using patient specimens from collaborators within the Pooling
Project. The Mount Sinai clinical team will continue to Investigate socioeconomic and demographic
associations with the risk of compromised immune responses and/or severe infection. Additionally, residual
plasma from select patients will be used to determine whether patients who experienced a SARS-CoV-2
infection retain molecular evidence of viral infection. Evidence for a persistent reservoir of viral RNA and/or
proteins will be determined by highly sensitive RT-qPCR and ELISA-based assays, and the duration of
persistence after infection will be correlated with specific clinical symptoms.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11160900
- **Project number:** 3U54CA260560-02S3
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Adolfo Garcia-Sastre
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $599,601
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11160900

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11160900, Vulnerability of SARS- CoV-2 Infection in Lung Cancer Based on Serological Antibody Analyses (3U54CA260560-02S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11160900. Licensed CC0.

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