Immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer has continued to be a primary focus of the Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Research Program.
Mary Jo Turk, PhD
Co-Director
Kenneth R. Meehan, MD
Co-Director
The mission of the Program is to create an interdisciplinary environment in which important scientific questions in cancer immunology can be addressed and the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer is facilitated.
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The Program achieves this goal by providing resources and activities that foster meaningful interactions among and between basic cancer researchers and clinicians. The Program nurtures these interactions by assisting in the training of young scientists who will pursue careers in the immunology of cancer; by providing forums for the exchange of scientific ideas, and by funding early efforts in translational cancer immunology.
Program themes and highlights
Members of the Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Research Program are investigating the following areas:
- Immune regulation
- Alteration of the tumor microenvironment (TME) for therapeutic benefit
- Translational Immunotherapy
Program highlights
Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Program Entrepreneurship
The Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Program has a notable history of entrepreneurship, with current and former members (Drs. Michael Fanger and Paul Guyre) having founded Medarex in 1987.
Medarex (purchased by Bristoll Meyers Squib in 2009) developed the first immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs (ipilimumab and nivolumab) for cancer patients.
ICIP scientists currently work closely with industrial partners Immunext, Inc.; Celdara Medical, LLC; and Occulo Bio to translate immunotherapeutic discoveries to the clinic.