IMMUNOLOGY AND CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY RESEARCH PROGRAM

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The goal of the Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Program (ICIP) is to unite through scholarly engagement and collaboration the efforts of basic and clinical immunologists to develop passive and active immunization strategies to treat cancer. ICIP adds value to NCCC by bringing together established and experienced NCI-funded, clinical trialists with NCI-funded cancer immunologists and immunologists to develop, design, execute, effectively monitor, and bring to fruition Dartmouth-initiated immunotherapy trials in renal cell carcinoma, melanoma, colon cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma, and myeloma. ICIP has 18 members from 5 departments and more than $8.3 million in total funding, of which greater than $2.5 million derives from the NCI (31%). Since 2003, ICIP has published over 190 papers of which 8% involve intraprogrammatic collaborations and 13% involve inter-programmatic collaborations. Since 2003, the breadth and depth of the immunological expertise within the ICIP has been greatly strengthened and focused. ICIP has focused on the development of strategies to vaccinate against cancer, with the intent to move these strategies into clinical trials at Dartmouth. Both passive (T cell adoptive therapy) and active (dendritic cell (DC) and molecularly based) vaccines have been developed, some of which have entered clinical trials. The development and execution of these trials have greatly benefited from the CCSG-supported shared resources, especially Immune Monitoring. Enhanced ICIP focus and development has been facilitated by the strategic recruitment of key junior faculty by the NCCC. Their work, in turn, has been greatly facilitated by NCCC pilot project support, some of which was CCSG-supported. ICIP expertise now encompasses the scientific areas most important for the successful development of cancer vaccines. Establishment of a critical mass of experts in well-defined areas has enabled interactive "Working Groups"¿confederations of ICIP experts with specific goals in the area of tumor immunotherapy. ICIP members study the natural immune responses to cancer¿i.e., both the immunity and suppression elicited by a growing tumor. The role of DCs in mediating tumor suppression as well as tumor immunity is studied by a number of laboratories within the ICIP. Molecularly based vaccines to trigger robust cell-mediated immune responses to cancer are being developed for translation into humans. ICIP has formulated a vision for the present and future translation of cancer vaccines into humans.