UCCRC Research Program Three

Immunology and Cancer

Program Leader:  Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD

The overall goals of the Immunology and Cancer Program are to understand the interface between the host immune system and a malignant tumor and to manipulate that interaction to promote immune-mediated tumor destruction in patients with cancer. 

Although much of the immunotherapy field has moved forward quickly on the development of cancer vaccines, we maintain the view that it is important to explore the reasons for failure of the immune system to spontaneously reject most cancers from a more global perspective. Thus, in addition to optimizing T cell-based cancer therapeutics, Program 3 objectives are based on the general perspective that understanding all definable aspects of the immune response against tumors will be vital for clinical success. These insights will be guided by continued study of fundamental aspects of immune regulation, and thus a great degree of our effort lies in such basic immunologic studies. Our scientific goals, therefore, span the following domains:

• fundamental investigations in immunology;
• mouse models of anti-tumor immunity; and
• novel immunotherapy clinical trials.

Observations in studies of basic immunologic concepts direct the design of preclinical and clinical studies, and observations made in early clinical studies have generated new hypotheses that are being addressed back in murine systems. Thus, the Immunology and Cancer Program has evolved into an important example of bi-directional translational research with ideas moving freely between bench and bedside.  There are currently 22 members in the Program derived from 7 departments working to achieve our Program goals.

Program Highlights 2008

 

Program 1
Cell Signaling and Gene Regulation
Program Leaders: Marsha Rosner, PhD and Suzanne Conzen, MD

Program 2
Molecular Genetics and Hematopoiesis
Program Leaders: Wendy Stock, MD and Michael Thirman, MD

Program 3
Immunology and Cancer
Program Leader: Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD

Program 4
Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics
Program Leaders: Everett E. Vokes, MD and M. Eileen Dolan, PhD

Program 5
Advanced Imaging
Program Leaders: Greg Karczmar, PhD and Heber MacMahon, MD

Program 6
Cancer Risk and Prevention
Program Leaders: Brian Chiu, PhD and Andrea King, PhD