Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy

Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp, Buffalo NY

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The core premise of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy (TII) programmatic research is that immune responses can effectively control or eradicate a wide range of human cancers, and that innovative strategies to harness these immune responses can fundamentally and positively impact the lives of human beings who have, or are at risk of having cancer. These innovative strategies arise from a basic understanding of the complex interactions between the immune system and the tumor/tumor microenvironment (TME) and are most effectively translated into the clinical arena through formal programmatic integration of effort + organization + infrastructure/shared resources. To accomplish this, the research efforts of TII are organized into three Aims: 1) To characterize the immune system’s interactions with the tumor and its microenvironment, 2) To define the basis for effective anti-tumor immune responses, and 3) To translate anti-cancer immunotherapy into human populations. The ability to translate TII’s research into patients is a particular strength of TII and Roswell Park, due in large part to robust and longstanding inter-programmatic and basic science-clinical interactions. This effort continues to grow with the recruitment of new translationally focused faculty and new efforts - for example, novel cellular therapies and vaccine approaches that have particular relevance and impact for our catchment area. Overall, the ongoing and future TII efforts seek to continue to grow research that is Paradigm, Policy and Practice changing. The Program is co-led by Kelvin Lee, MD and Pawel Kalinski MD, PhD (new Program leader as of 2017), who both have strong interests in both basic and clinical/population aspects of tumor immunology and immunotherapy. Dr. Lee’s leadership efforts focus on the basic and preclinical/translational research in the Program, which dovetails with Dr. Kalinski’s leadership focus on the translation and clinical research efforts. The Program is comprised of 38 members from 12 Roswell Park departments (Immunology, Medicine, Pediatrics, Center for Immunotherapy, Neurosurgery, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Gynecologic Oncology, Pathology, Cancer Prevention and Control, Surgical Oncology and Pathology), whose NCI funding is $1.6M, total peer-reviewed $5.3M and total funding of $10.6M. Of the 673 publications generated over the last funding cycle, 11% are intra-programmatic, 34% inter-programmatic and 83% interinstitutional, with 90 published in high impact publications in journals with Impact Factor 10. The Program continues to actively translate its basic science into the clinical arena, with 151 (interventional) and 1233 (noninterventional) patients accrued to TII clinical trials. Translation is also significantly supported by the Center for Immunotherapy, which has been fully realized as the major translational arm of TII (as well as the immunotherapy efforts of other Programs) over the previous funding cycle - and now is housed in dedicated 36,800 sq. ft. of completely renovated space (NIH construction grant C06RR020132 (K. Lee PI).