Cancer Immunology Program (CIP) The mission of the Cancer Immunology Program (CIP) is to reduce the burden of cancer by elucidating the basic mechanisms of interaction between the immune system and cancer, thus providing a scientific rationale for the design of new and/or more effective approaches for cancer treatment and prevention. The mandate of the Program is to encourage, facilitate, and support the best research and training in cancer immunology, and to translate basic findings from CIP laboratories into pre-clinical studies within the Program and to clinical studies through inter-programmatic collaborations with UPCI disease-site programs. CIP research is centered on three themes: 1) cancer immunology and tumor microenvironment; 2) cancer immunotherapy; and 3) cancer immunoprevention.
The specific aims of the CIP are to: 1) promote and support interdisciplinary research on the role of innate and adaptive immunity in creating a tumor-promoting versus tumor-suppressing microenvironment; 2) perform preclinical studies of novel cancer immunotherapies and collaborate with clinical programs to translate these approaches to the bedside; 3) promote and support research on cancer immunosurveillance, including the generation of relevant animal models for testing the ability of the immune system to control progression of premalignant disease to cancer; and 4) promote programs and grant submissions for educating and training the next generation of basic and translational cancer immunologists. The CIP includes 29 members from 7 departments and 1 school recruited from the large group of immunologists at the University of Pittsburgh. CIP members currently receive $6.9 M annually in direct funding, including $2.4 M from the NCI and $4.2 M in other peer-reviewed support. Between January 2010 and April 2014, CIP members authored 530 cancer-related publications, of which 30% resulted from intra-programmatic and 45% from inter-programmatic collaborations. Approximately 33% of the papers represent collaborations with external investigators. CIP facilitates UPCI-wide distribution communication of best science discoveries through seminars and retreats and through collaborations with members of other UPCI Programs. CIP leaders assist program members in identifying and acquiring relevant resources and support, through work-in-progress meetings, validation of preclinical findings in clinical specimens, identifying pilot funding, and championing the translational hand-off to disease-site programs. These efforts have produced successful translational research leading to early phase trials of novel agents and combinations based on discoveries of CIP members. UPCI support, including shared resources, specifically the Animal Facility, Biostatistics Facility, Cancer Bioinformatics Services, Cancer Genomics Facility, Cancer Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Facility, Cancer Proteomics Facility, Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility, Chemical Biology Facility, Cytometry Facility, Immunological Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory, In Vivo Imaging Facility, Investigational Drug Services, and Tissue and Research Pathology Services facilitates and enhances CIP research.
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