Immuno-Oncology Program

Cancer immunotherapy is designed to activate a person's own immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells. The advent of cancer immunotherapies has revolutionized patient care and has significantly reduced cancer-related mortality rates. As a result, many patients now receive immunotherapeutic agents as part of the standard of care for both early and late-stage cancer diagnoses. Despite the remarkable success of immunotherapies, not all cancer patients respond to them, and some who do may relapse after an initial response. The research conducted in the Brown Cancer Center’s lmmuno-Oncology (IO) program, seeks to better understand and manipulate the complex interplay between immune cells and tumor/stromal cells to develop novel approaches for cancer treatment. The overall goals of the IO program are two-fold: (1) to develop novel approaches to activate or reinvigorate innate and adaptive immunity against cancer cells; and (2) to understand the underlying mechanisms behind various types of immune evasion and their impact on anti-tumor immune responses using multi-omics approaches. Our IO program has established a state-of-the art research facility, the Functional lmmunomics Core (FIC), which houses, among many instruments, a Helios CyTOF instrument and a Hyperion Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC). 

Examples of some of our Immuno-Oncology projects include:

• Developing novel cell-based therapies, such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and CART-cells, which are currently being used in several of our clinical trials (link to Clinical Trials Program) here at the Brown Cancer Center

• Playing a leading role in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy clinical trials in metastatic melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and investigating intrinsic and acquired ICI treatment resistance mechanisms

• Using natural compounds, such as beta-glucans, to induce trained immunity-an innate form of immune memory-in combination with cancer-specific antibodies or ICI, to enhance anti-cancer efficacy

• Dissecting the tumor immune microenvironment using multi-omics approaches to better and more completely understand the spatial and temporal interactions among immune cells, tumor cells, and stromal cells

• Utilizing edible, plant-derived microparticles called exosomes to modulate inflammation and immune evasion in cancer patients 

• Exploring and targeting interactions between the immune system and a patient’s microbiome in cancer progression and immunotherapeutic resistance

• Testing a highly novel embryonic stem cell vaccine which can universally prevent treat human cancer initiation and onset