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hematology/oncology |
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Our research team is concentrating its efforts on developing better therapies for children with cancer. These include preclinical studies of novel drugs and vaccines, clinical trials with new agents and innovative approaches in stem cell transplantation. A novel anti-cancer vaccine (called Chaperone Rich Cell Lysate or CRCL) has been developed in Dr. Emmanuel Katsanis’ laboratory that has been shown to be effective against a variety of tumors in mice. Dr. Katsanis and the scientists in his laboratory are investigating how this vaccine works by analyzing its actions on important immune cells such as T cells, natural killer cells and dendritic cells. The scientific goals of Dr. Katsanis’ tumor immunology program are to understand how CRCL vaccine, which is made up of substances derived from a patient’s cancer cells, stimulates the patient’s immune system to fight its own cancer and prevent it from coming back. This research is critical for the development of effective new immune therapies that can be used in combination with chemotherapy against different cancers. Dr. Brenda Wittman is studying whether body mass index is a predictor of disease-free survival in pediatric cancer patients. Pediatric patients who are overweight or underweight have different body compositions and are likely to metabolize chemotherapy drugs differently than those children who are of normal weight. This research will provide insight into how drug dosing should be modified to decrease the side effects in these patients and to improve their outcome. |
