Conquer Cancer - The Sontag Foundation Young Investigator Award in honor of the 10th Anniversary of The Brain Tumor Network
Funds early-career research on combining engineered NK cells and IL-12-expressing oncolytic virus to develop novel therapies for glioblastoma.
Funder: Sontag Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2026 (Full application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $50,000 for one year; supports research expenses and travel to the ASCO Annual Meeting.
Summary: Funds early-career research integrating engineered NK cells and IL-12-expressing oncolytic virus for novel glioblastoma therapies.
Description
This award supports innovative, translational research that combines genetically engineered natural killer (NK) cells—specifically resistant to TGF-β and corticosteroids—with an IL-12-expressing oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) to target glioblastoma (GBM). The project’s goals are to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of this combination in laboratory and animal models and to elucidate how the oHSV enhances NK cell function within the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The ultimate aim is to advance new, more effective, and less toxic immunotherapeutic strategies for GBM patients by integrating cutting-edge virotherapy with cell-based immunotherapy.
