​Principal Investigator: Dr. Reid Shaw

Disease: Cancer

Research Description: While immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of many solid-organ cancers and hematologic malignancies, some patients do not respond or develop resistance to these drugs. Research has shown that the gut microbiome can affect patients’ response to immunotherapy, and lactulose, a low-cost, FDA-approved medication used to treat constipation and liver disease, has been shown to increase levels of the healthy gut bacteria Bifidobacterium in humans. The research team is conducting a two-part clinical trial adding lactulose to immunotherapy to determine if increasing Bifidobacterium in the gut helps “non-responding” tumors become responsive to immunotherapy. First, a Phase I trial is enrolling patients with several types of solid cancers, followed by a Phase II trial in melanoma patients who have stopped responding to immunotherapy. By improving patients’ immunotherapy response rates, this trial could lead to a safe, affordable and widely available method to enhance cancer treatment.

Funding Partners: The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust and others

Initial CWR Funding Role: Primary