The Tumor Immunology (Tl) Program Area brings basic and translational scientists together into an environment that has spawned novel, investigator-initiated immunotherapy clinical trials for melanoma, brain cancers, lymphomas, lung cancer and renal cell carcinoma, among others. The main goals of the Program Area are: 1) to provide an optimal interactive environment to enhance the understanding of tumor immunology, and 2) to develop novel immune-based clinical therapies for patients with cancer. Established intra- and inter-programmatic research areas include: 1) T cell receptor engineering for adoptive cell transfer therapy; 2) new platforms for immune monitoring of T cell responses to cancer; 3) non-invasive in vivo imaging of tumor antigen-specific T cells; 4) immunotherapy for brain cancers; 5) the relationship between inflammation and cancer; and 6) the use of antibody fusion proteins, immune-modulating antibodies and chemokines for cancer therapy. The Tl Program Area also houses research efforts both on gene therapy approaches to cancer treatment and on viral oncogenesis, including studies of HIV/AIDS. The Tl Program Area uses nearly all of the JCCC-supported infrastructure and shared resources. The Flow Cytometry Shared Resource is a key facility required for most (if not all) research projects within the Program Area. The Small Animal Imaging Shared Resource has made possible the pursuit of successful projects in T cell imaging, projects that are now being brought from preclinical models to patients. The JCCC/Human Gene Medicine Program Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) suite has provided the required physical infrastructure for investigators in the Tl Program Area to manufacture cell and gene therapy products in-house, meeting all of the local, state and federal regulatory requirements for human administration. The Tl Program Area is comprised of 37 members, including six
The treatment of cancer by promoting an anti-tumor immune response offers great promise for the future. The Tumor Immunology Program Area brings together basic, translational, and clinical researchers from multiple disciplines to realize this promise. A broad range of therapeutic strategies for enhancing the antitumor immune response are being pursued, with important intra- and inter-programmatic collaborations to test and monitor the success of each strategy.
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