Stromnes Lab
Principal Investigator: Ingunn Margarete Stromnes
Institution: University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
ABSTRACT Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is an exceptionally lethal cancer for which most patients lack durable therapies. Its pronounced therapeutic resistance is due in part from a highly fibroinflammatory and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Although immunotherapies have transformed the management of many cancers, PDA remains largely refractory. These therapies rely on activating tumor-reactive T cells capable of trafficking into tumors, recognizing antigen, killing malignant cells, and eliciting clinical responses. Yet even in cancers that initially respond to immunotherapy, long-term durability is often limited. This project addresses a critical gap in our understanding of how T cells function within the pancreatic tumor microenvironment and respond to immunotherapy. Each T cell expresses a unique T cell receptor (TCR), which exhibits exquisite specificity for peptide-MHC (pMHC). The human T cell repertoire encompasses billions of TCRs, a diversity essential for defense against pathogens and abnormal cells. Historically, efforts to generate TCR-engineered T cell therapies have focused on isolating and affinity-enhancing TCRs that bind strongly to pMHC tetramers…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R01CA318724-01: Elucidating properties of T cell receptors that govern pancreatic cancer immunotherapy response (2026)
- 3R01CA255039-05S1: Enhancing engineered T cell therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (2025)
- 5R01CA249393-05: Mechanisms of immunotherapy response and resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (2025)
- 5R01CA255039-05: Enhancing engineered T cell therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (2025)
- 5R01CA255039-04: Enhancing engineered T cell therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (2024)
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