Solid Tumor Fact Sheet
CIRM funds many projects seeking to better understand solid tumors and to translate those discoveries into new therapies.
Description
Solid tumors include cancers of the brain, ovary, breast, colon and other tissues. Many people believe that one quality solid tumors share is a reliance on cancer stem cells. These cancer stem cells are thought to divide to produce the bulk of the cells that make up the tumor.
The hypothesis suggests that unlike most cells of a tumor, the cancer stem cells divide very slowly and are less likely to be destroyed by chemotherapies that kill the fast-growing tumor cells. The thought is that cancers might recur because the chemotherapy kills the bulk of the tumor, but leaves behind the cancer stem cells that can, over time, form a new tumor.
Stem cell scientists are studying cancer stem cells from solid tumors in the lab to find ways of destroying them. If these cancer stem cells share characteristics that allow them to be destroyed by the same drug, then a single new drug could significantly improve cancer treatment for a range of different cancer types.
Clinical Stage Programs
Stanford University
The Stanford University team has found a protein on the surface of leukemia stem cells that protects those cells from elimination by the patient’s own immune system. They call this protein a “don’t eat me” signal. They will create an antibody therapy that blocks that protein and makes the cancer stem cell available to be attacked and destroyed by the immune system.
Forty Seven Inc.
This company is using the same antibody therapy as in the Stanford trial, this time to fight colorectal or bowel cancer. They are combining their antibody therapy with another antibody-based cancer drug called Cetuximab in hopes of treating patients with colorectal cancer.
University of California, Los Angeles
A team led by scientists at UCLA has identified several potential drugs that kill cancer stem cells from the ovary, colon and brain in the lab dish. They are now testing a drug for the treatment of cancer that works by blocking PLK4, a protein that is important in regulating cell growth, division and death. This protein is important for the survival of the cancer stem cell as well as the rest of the cells in a tumor. It is hypothesized that blocking this protein from working in the tumor may stop or even shrink tumor growth.
VIDEO Participant in UCLA clinical trial talks about his cancer diagnosis and his clinical trial experience
CIRM Grants Targeting Solid Tumors
Researcher Name Institution Grant Title Grant Type Award Amount
Dr. Michael E. Barish Ph, D. City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Genetically-modified neural stem cells for treatment of high-grade glioma Disease Team Planning $55,000 Dr. David A. Cheresh University of California, San Diego CD61-driven stemness program in epithelial cancer Basic Biology V $1,161,000 Dr. Dennis J Slamon University of California, Los Angeles A Phase I dose escalation and expansion clinical trial of the novel first-in-class Polo-like Kinase 4 (PLK4) inhibitor, CFI-400945 in patients with advanced solid tumors Disease Team Therapy Development III $5,683,693 Professor Irving L Weissman MD Stanford University Clinical Investigation of a Humanized Anti-CD47 Antibody in Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Hematologic Malignancies and Solid Tumors Disease Team Therapy Development III $6,505,568 Dr. Robert Reiter MD University of California, Los Angeles Clinical Development of an N-cadherin Antibody to Target Cancer Stem Cells Early Translational IV $4,075,668 Michelle Monje Stanford University White matter neuroregeneration after chemotherapy: stem cell therapy for “chemobrain” New Faculty Physician Scientist $2,800,526 Dr. Owen N Witte M.D. University of California, Los Angeles Trop2 dependent and independent mechanisms of self-renewal in human cancer stem cells Basic Biology IV $1,254,960 Dr. Antoni Ribas MD/PhD University of California, Los Angeles Genetic Re-programming of Stem Cells to Fight Cancer Disease Team Therapy Development – Research $14,144,221 Dr. Stephen J Forman City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Targeting glioma cancer stem cells with receptor-engineered self-renewing memory T cells Early Translational III $5,215,447 Dr. Albert J Wong Stanford University Recombinant Bispecific Antibody Targeting Cancer Stem Cells for the Therapy of Glioblastoma Disease Team Therapy Planning I $109,750 Dr. Antoni Ribas MD/PhD University of California, Los Angeles Genetic Re-programming of Stem Cells to Fight Cancer Disease Team Therapy Planning I $97,785 Dr. Noriyuki Kasahara University of California, Los Angeles Stem cell-based carriers for RCR vector delivery to glioblastoma Early Translational II $3,340,625 Dr. Robert J Wechsler-Reya Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute The role of neural stem cells in cerebellar development, regeneration and tumorigenesis Research Leadership $5,226,049 Dr. Siavash Kurdistani University of California, Los Angeles Epigenetics in cancer stem cell initiation and clinical outcome prediction New Faculty I $3,063,450 Dr. Antoni Ribas MD/PhD University of California, Los Angeles Stem Cells for Immune System Regeneration to Fight Cancer New Faculty II $3,072,000 Dr. Brigitte N Gomperts University of California, Los Angeles Stem Cells in Lung Cancer New Faculty II $2,381,572 Dr. Jerome A. Zack Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles Generation of clinical grade human iPS cells New Cell Lines $1,341,000 Dr. Zoran Galic University of California, Los Angeles Genetic Enhancement of the Immune Response to Melanoma via hESC-derived T cells SEED Grant $616,800 Dr. Elizabeth Rachel Lawlor Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles hESC as tools to investigate the neural crest origin of Ewing’s sarcoma SEED Grant $595,576 Dr. Mitchel S Berger University of California, San Francisco Stem Cell-Mediated Oncocidal Gene Therapy of Glioblastoma (GBM) Disease Team Research I $6,214,914 Prof. Karen S Aboody M.D. City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Stem Cell-mediated Therapy for High-grade Glioma: Toward Phase I-II Clinical Trials Disease Team Research I $17,890,623 Dr. Dennis J Slamon University of California, Los Angeles Therapeutic Opportunities To Target Tumor Initiating Cells in Solid Tumors Disease Team Research I $19,979,660 Dr. Nadia Carlesso Ph.D., M.D. City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Stem Cell-based Disease Modeling Shared Resource Laboratory Shared Labs Grant – Establishing SRLs $5,400,000 Dr. Robert Blelloch MD, PHD. University of California, San Francisco Development of universal off-the-shelf iPSC derived dendritic cells for use as patient specific anti-tumor vaccine Foundation – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,391,999 Dr. Michael F Clarke Stanford University Developing a breast cancer stem cell drug Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $2,053,727 Dr Jianhua Yu City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Reprogramming Somatic Cells into iPSCs Engineered with an Anti-PSCA CAR to Develop Allogeneic Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapy to Treat Pancreatic Cancer Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $2,263,500 Prof. Song Li University of California, Los Angeles Vax-CT to promote formation of cancer-specific T memory stem cell for personalized cancer immunotherapy Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $2,267,714 Dr. Richard Joseph Pietras University of California, Los Angeles Reversal of dysregulated myelopoiesis in breast cancers and cancer stem cells to boost antitumor immunotherapy Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $2,327,680 Frank Pajonk University of California, Los Angeles Development of novel small molecules against cancer stem cells in solid cancers Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $2,340,000 Dr. Michael Demetriou University of California, Irvine CAR T cells targeting abnormal N-glycans for the treatment of refractory/metastatic solid cancers Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,414,800 Dr. Lili Yang University of California, Los Angeles Combating Ovarian Cancer Using Stem Cell-Engineered Off-The-Shelf CAR-iNKT Cells Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,404,000 Dr. Michael Karin University of California, San Diego Targeting pancreatic cancer stem cells with DDR1 antibodies. Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,425,600 Dr. Edward Filardo Cytonus Therapeutics, Inc. Development of a novel stem-cell based carrier for intravenous delivery of oncolytic viruses Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $899,342 Ansuman Satpathy Stanford University Preclinical development of an exhaustion-resistant CAR-T stem cell for cancer immunotherapy Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,420,200 Dan S Kaufman University of California, San Diego Human iPSC-derived chimeric antigen receptor expressing macrophages for improved cancer treatment. Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,256,332 Munjal M Acharya University of California, Irvine Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles to reverse radiation-induced brain injury Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,064,724 Dr. Tannishtha Reya University of California, San Diego Targeting Critical Regulators of Cancer Stem Cells Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,148,264 Dan S Kaufman University of California, San Diego Human iPSC-derived chimeric antigen receptor-expressing macrophages for cancer treatment Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $222,200 Dr Saul J Priceman City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Engineered Stem/Memory T Cells for the Treatment of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,351,174 Dr. Philip Arden Beachy PhD Stanford University Pluripotent stem cell-derived bladder epithelial progenitors for definitive cell replacement therapy of bladder cancer Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,265,436 Dr. Hideho Okada University of California, San Francisco Non-viral reprogramming of the endogenous TCRα locus to direct stem memory T cells against shared neoantigens in malignant gliomas Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $900,000 Professor Yuan Chen University of California, San Diego A Novel Approach to Eradicate Cancer Stem Cells Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $279,977 Professor Yuan Chen City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute A Novel Approach to Eradicate Cancer Stem Cells Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,539,935 Dan S Kaufman University of California, San Diego Targeted off-the-shelf immunotherapy to treat refractory cancers Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,936,936 Professor Hiromitsu Nakauchi Stanford University Novel Rejuvenated T Cell Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects $1,968,456 Julia J. Unternaehrer-Hamm Loma Linda University Targeting cancer stem cells with nanoparticle RNAi delivery to prevent recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer Inception – Discovery Stage Research Projects $172,870 Dr. John R Cashman Human BioMolecular Research Institute Human Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells: Developing a Novel Drug for Cancer Eradication Inception – Discovery Stage Research Projects $303,785 Dr. Owen N Witte M.D. University of California, Los Angeles Identification of stem cell surface markers as potential therapeutic targets for advanced prostate cancer Inception – Discovery Stage Research Projects $209,160 Professor Irving L Weissman MD Stanford University Purification of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) for Clinical Stem Cell Transplantation Tool Translational Research Projects $1,347,722 Yuan Yuan Cedars-Sinai Medical Center A Rapid Clinical Digital Patient-derived Organoid to Guide Breast Cancer Treatment Decision Diagnostic Translational Research Projects $1,535,375 Lei Tian City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Targeting pancreatic cancer with Allogeneic Off-the-Shelf PSCA-CAR NK cells Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $6,036,000 Dr. Lili Yang University of California, Los Angeles Combating Ovarian Cancer with Stem Cell-Engineered Off-The-Shelf CAR-NKT Cell Therapy Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $5,601,600 Dr. Nicole K Paulk Siren Biotechnology, Inc. Development of an AAV gene therapy immunotherapy for the treatment of glioblastoma Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $3,997,919 Dr. Rongfu Wang University of Southern California Novel T cell receptor-STEM T cell immunotherapy in lung cancer Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $5,689,540 Dr Jianhua Yu City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Specific Targeting Hypoxia Metastatic Breast Tumor with Allogeneic Off-the-Shelf Anti-EGFR CAR NK Cells Expressing an ODD domain of HIF-1α Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $6,036,002 Preet M Chaudhary University of Southern California Next generation affinity-tuned CAR for prostate cancer Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $5,805,144 Dr. Hideho Okada University of California, San Francisco Development of novel synNotch CART cell therapy in patients with recurrent EGFRvIII+ glioblastoma Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $4,556,536 Cristina Puig Saus University of California, Los Angeles CAR-Tnm cell therapy for melanoma targeting TYRP-1 Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $5,904,462 Dr. Hideho Okada University of California, San Francisco Development of novel synNotch CART cell therapy in patients with recurrent EGFRvIII+ glioblastoma Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $525,000 Prof. Karen S Aboody M.D. City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Neural Stem cell-mediated oncolytic immunotherapy for ovarian cancer Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $2,873,262 Dr. William J Murphy University of California, Davis Placental Derived Natural Killer Cells to Target Solid Tumor Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $0 Dr. Albert J Wong Stanford University 2nd Generation Vaccine for the Treatment of Glioblastoma Therapeutic Translational Research Projects $2,929,889 Dr. Hideho Okada University of California, San Francisco Phase 1 Study of Autologous E-SYNC T Cells in Adult Participants with EGFRvIII+ Glioblastoma Clinical Trial Stage Projects $10,927,618 Dr. John Le Gall Allogene Therapeutics A PHASE 1B STUDY EVALUATING THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF AN ALLOGENEIC CELL THERAPY IN SUBJECTS WITH CLEAR CELL RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (ccRCC) Clinical Trial Stage Projects $15,000,000 Noriyuki Kasahara University of California, San Francisco A Phase I/IIa Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Toca 511/Toca FC with Standard of Care Therapy in Newly Diagnosed High Grade Glioma Clinical Trial Stage Projects $11,807,220 Dr. Reena Parada Thomas Stanford University Phase I Trial of Locoregionally Delivered Autologous B7-H3 CAR T Cells (B7-H3CART) in Adults with Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme Clinical Trial Stage Projects $11,999,991 Anusha Kalbasi Stanford University Stem-Derived IL13Ra2 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells for Patients with Melanoma and Advanced Solid Tumors Clinical Trial Stage Projects $10,211,085 Pei Wang Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. Autologous ARTEMIS® T Cells to Treat Refractory/Relapsed Pediatric Liver Cancer Clinical Trial Stage Projects $10,600,072 Ivan King Tachyon Therapeutics, Inc TACH101: A Potent, First-In-Class KDM4 Inhibitor for Advanced Cancers Clinical Trial Stage Projects $6,862,609 Dr Jana Portnow City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute A Phase I Study of Multiple doses of NSC-Based Oncolytic Virotherapy Administered Intracerebrally to Patients with Recurrent High-Grade Gliomas Clinical Trial Stage Projects $11,999,984 Dr. Pamela Reilly Contag BioEclipse Therapeutics INC. PHASE 1, OPEN LABEL, DOSE-ESCALATION STUDY OF CRX100 IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED SOLID TUMORS Clinical Trial Stage Projects $7,999,689 Crystal Mackall Stanford University Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Autologous GD2 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas and Spinal Diffuse Midline Glioma Clinical Trial Stage Projects $11,998,310 Dr. Leo D Wang City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Phase I Study of IL13Rα2-Targeting CAR T Cells After Lymphodepletion for Children with Refractory or Recurrent Malignant Brain Tumors Clinical Trial Stage Projects $8,401,309 Dr Saul J Priceman City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute A Phase I Study of Chimeric Antigen Receptor Engineered Stem/Memory T Cells for the Treatment of HER2-Positive Brain Metastases Clinical Trial Stage Projects $9,015,149 Theodore Scott Nowicki University of California, Los Angeles Genetic Modification of Stem Cells and T cells to Activate the Immune System to Target Solid Tumors Clinical Trial Stage Projects $4,230,000 Dr. Steven M. Dubinett MD University of California, Los Angeles A phase I trial of intratumoral administration of CCL21-gene modified dendritic cell (DC) combined with intravenous pembrolizumab for advanced NSCLC Clinical Trial Stage Projects $10,955,315 Dr. Christine E. Brown City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Phase I Study of Chimeric Antigen Receptor Engineered Central Memory T cells for the Treatment of Malignant Glioma Clinical Trial Stage Projects $12,753,854 Mark Chao Forty Seven Inc. A Phase 1b/2 Trial of the Anti-CD47 Antibody Hu5F9-G4 in Combination with Cetuximab in Patients with Solid Tumors and Advanced Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trial Stage Projects $0 Anthony J. Gringeri ImmunoCellular Therapeutics A Phase III randomized double-blind, controlled study of ICT 107 with maintenance temozolomide (TMZ) in newly diagnosed glioblastoma following resection and concomitant TMZ chemoradiotherapy Clinical Trial Stage Projects $5,391,016 Robert Dillman Caladrius Biosciences Tumor stem cell-targeted immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma –a randomized phase 3 clinical trial. Clinical Trial Stage Projects $3,000,000 Shahab Asgharzadeh Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles Chimeric TGFB Signaling Receptor (CTSR) Enabled Anti-B7H3 CAR T-cell Therapy in Children and AYA with Recurrent Solid Tumors Late Stage Preclinical Projects $6,000,000 Prof. Karen S Aboody M.D. City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Neural stem cell delivered CRAd-S-pk7 oncolytic viro-immunotherapy for ovarian cancer Late Stage Preclinical Projects $5,314,547 Dr. David R Stover Nammi Therapeutics, Inc. IND-Enabling activities for the masked immunocytokine, QXL138AM Late Stage Preclinical Projects $3,999,113 8587949607 Boris Minev Calidi Biotherapeutics, Inc. Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells loaded with oncolytic virus for cancer treatment Late Stage Preclinical Projects $3,111,467 Devon J Shedlock Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. Late-Stage Preclinical Study of CAR-T Memory Stem Cells Targeting PSMA (P-PSMA-101) for the Treatment of Castrate-Resistant Metastatic Prostate Cancer Late Stage Preclinical Projects $3,992,090 Dr. Angelo Manuel Almeida Cardoso Ph.D., MD City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute Ex Vivo Gene Engineering of Blood Stem Cells for Enhanced Chemotherapy Efficacy in Glioblastoma Patients Late Stage Preclinical Projects $3,684,259 Bob Valamehr Fate Therapeutics, Inc. IND enabling development of FT516: A Natural Killer Cell Immunotherapy for Cancer Derived from a Human Inducible Pluripotent Stem Cell Late Stage Preclinical Projects $4,000,000
Total: $389,146,845.33
CIRM Cancer Stem Cell Videos
News about solid tumor research
Resources
Find Out More:
Stem Cell FAQ | Stem Cell Videos | What We Fund