Tumor Immunobiology

The overall goal of the Tumor Immunobiology Program is to understand the role of the immune system and inflammation in the development and progression of cancer, and to harness the power of the immune system to develop novel immune-based therapies and vaccines against all types of cancer. 

The program has 21 members who come from a wide variety of disciplines ranging from basic immunology to structural biology and molecular imaging.  This breadth is a major strength of the program and allows its members to address complex and technically challenging projects.  Other strengths of this program include: (i) the strong translational emphasis on immunologic research; (ii) substantive collaborative relationships with the Structural Biology Program, particularly molecular modeling; and (iii) the integration of new faculty members with strong backgrounds in cellular and molecular immunology and tumor immunotherapy into the program. 

The objectives of this program have broadened in relationship to the research interests of its members. The original goal – to develop a better understanding of chemokines and chemokine receptors in the biology of cancer – remains important but is now augmented by research in basic and applied tumor immunology and immunotherapy. 

Our overall focus is now clustered into two interrelated thematic areas: 1) chemokines and their receptors in tumor development, angiogenesis and metastasis, and 2) tumor immunotherapy and approaches to overcome immune evasion of tumors to generate effective long-term anti-tumor immunity.

At right you will find links to information about Tumor Immunobiology research projects that are currently in progress. 

Tumor Immunobiology

The overall goal of the Tumor Immunobiology Program is to understand the role of the immune system and inflammation in the development and progression of cancer, and to harness the power of the immune system to develop novel immune-based therapies and vaccines against all types of cancer. 

The program has 21 members who come from a wide variety of disciplines ranging from basic immunology to structural biology and molecular imaging.  This breadth is a major strength of the program and allows its members to address complex and technically challenging projects.  Other strengths of this program include: (i) the strong translational emphasis on immunologic research; (ii) substantive collaborative relationships with the Structural Biology Program, particularly molecular modeling; and (iii) the integration of new faculty members with strong backgrounds in cellular and molecular immunology and tumor immunotherapy into the program. 

The objectives of this program have broadened in relationship to the research interests of its members. The original goal – to develop a better understanding of chemokines and chemokine receptors in the biology of cancer – remains important but is now augmented by research in basic and applied tumor immunology and immunotherapy. 

Our overall focus is now clustered into two interrelated thematic areas: 1) chemokines and their receptors in tumor development, angiogenesis and metastasis, and 2) tumor immunotherapy and approaches to overcome immune evasion of tumors to generate effective long-term anti-tumor immunity.

At right you will find links to information about Tumor Immunobiology research projects that are currently in progress. 

Research Projects

Researcher Jun Yan, Ph.D. has identified B lymphocytes as an important factor in immunological responses of susceptible and tolerant strains of mice to lupus.  read more

Researcher Jun Yan, Ph.D. has developed novel approaches to tumor vaccine design that protects from tumor growth in animal models.  read more

Researcher Jun Yan, Ph.D. is conducting studies to understand the mechanisms of leukocyte recruitment in tumor immunotherapy mediated by anti-tumor antibodies that bind to tumors and activate complement, and which have been shown to be enhanced by co-administration of _-glucan. We are pursuing this combination therapy in human clinical trials.  read more

Researcher, Nejat Egilmez, Ph.D. has discovered a method of generating permanent immunity to specific types of tumors and eradication of existing disease in certain types of laboratory mice. This discovery is the basis of several ongoing studies.  read more