# Core 2: ImmunoPhenotyping Core

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $343,763

## Abstract

Abstract: Immunophenotyping Core
 A central unifying hypothesis of this research program is that MCC – both viral and UV-damage associated
- is a highly immunogenic tumor and, consequently, amenable to immune-oncologic intervention. This
hypothesis is supported by the presence of virus-specific T cells and antibodies in many of the patients as well
as an approximate 50% ORR in metastatic MCC patients treated with monotherapy anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1
monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Unfortunately, many patients still fail to respond to PD-1 blockade. The
overarching goal of the Immunophenotyping Core is to provide cutting-edge, slide-based technologies to
interrogate the tumor microenvironment, in particular, to apply multiparametric immunohistochemistry (mIHC)
to understanding the critical cell-cell interactions occurring within the tumor microenvironment (TME) that either
enable or disable productive anti-tumor immune responses. We anticipate that these mechanistic insights will
inform future combination immune-oncology trials in MCC patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9906884
- **Project number:** 5P01CA225517-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT H PIERCE
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $343,763
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9906884

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9906884, Core 2: ImmunoPhenotyping Core (5P01CA225517-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9906884. Licensed CC0.

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