UNC Researcher Wins Major Grant to Study T-Cell Metabolism and Cancer
- Jessica Thaxton has been awarded a $700,000 grant from the G.
- The funding supports a project titled "Endoplasmic Reticulum Architecture as a Determinant of T-Cell Metabolism in Cancer," led by Thaxton, who serves as an associate professor in the...
- Thaxton’s research operates at the intersection of cell biology and immunology, exploring how the harsh conditions of a tumor microenvironment disrupt essential cellular functions in immune cells.
Dr. Jessica Thaxton has been awarded a $700,000 grant from the G. Harold & Leila Y. Mathers Foundation to investigate how the endoplasmic reticulum influences T-cell metabolism and cancer development, according to announcements from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and News-Medical.net.
The funding supports a project titled “Endoplasmic Reticulum Architecture as a Determinant of T-Cell Metabolism in Cancer,” led by Thaxton, who serves as an associate professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the UNC School of Medicine and co-leader of the Cancer Cell Biology Research Program at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. According to the university, this award marks the first time in 20 years that a faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill has received a grant from the Mathers Foundation.
Focus on Cellular Structure and Tumor Microenvironments
Thaxton’s research operates at the intersection of cell biology and immunology, exploring how the harsh conditions of a tumor microenvironment disrupt essential cellular functions in immune cells. While previous research has focused heavily on how tumors suppress immune responses, less is known about how the structural organization of internal cellular organelles dictates the ability of T cells to destroy cancer cells.
The newly funded project examines a key discovery from Thaxton’s laboratory: the endoplasmic reticulum becomes dysfunctional in T cells that are actively fighting cancer. By studying the architecture of this organelle, the research team aims to determine whether adjusting its shape and organization can help recharge immune cells to improve their tumor-killing capacity.
Of recent successes that have come out of my research program, the Mathers Foundation is the one that I am proudest of. My work is exceptionally cross-disciplinary. We integrate stress biology, immunology and cell biology concepts to create novel treatments for patients with cancer.
Jessica Thaxton, PhD, MsCR
Institutional Support and Collaboration
The Mathers Foundation is a private philanthropic organization that supports high-risk, high-reward basic biomedical research designed to advance human health. The foundation selected Thaxton’s proposal through a highly competitive national selection process.
For this project, Thaxton will collaborate with faculty members within the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. According to the university, the initiative draws on interdisciplinary expertise assembled since Thaxton joined the UNC faculty in 2022.
UNC Lineberger is North Carolina’s only public National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, uniting researchers and clinicians to advance cancer prevention, detection, and treatment across the state and globally.