Cancer Immunology Training Program

项目总结 人们对癌症免疫学的兴趣从未像现在这样强烈。抑制性受体的突破性观察 封锁，结合嵌合抗原受体(CAR)修饰T细胞的突破性进展 细胞采用疗法突显了进一步癌症基础和翻译研究的迫切需要 免疫学。虽然潜在免疫治疗靶点的管道正在增长，但未来癌症的管道 免疫学家有限，部分原因是工业界和学术界的大量需求。迫切需要 以最佳方式培养下一代癌症免疫学家的培训计划。令人惊讶的是，我们的癌症 匹兹堡大学医学院的免疫学培训计划(CITP)是仅有的 六个由NCI支持的全国范围内完全专注于癌症免疫学的T32。这使得我们的节目 独一无二且必不可少的。CITP有5个博士后和3个博士后名额，已经进入第20个年头，我们正在寻找 对未来五年的支持。CITP的目标是为研究生、研究员和医生提供 拥有课程、研究项目、特殊环境和资源的科学家，以及高素质的导师 这将使他们能够：(1)对本报告涵盖的五个研究重点领域中的一个做出重大贡献 培训方案：(A)肿瘤微环境中的抑制机制，(B)适应性免疫和 TME内的细胞相互作用，(C)先天、环境和代谢调节，(D)促进免疫 对肿瘤的反应：基于细胞的疗法和疫苗，以及(E)系统癌症免疫学；(2)获得明确的 了解与癌症免疫学相关的细胞和分子机制；(3)获得实用的 了解人类癌症的免疫学；(4)对以下所有领域有清晰的概念性了解 影响癌症免疫学；以及(5)发展关键的职业技能和管理能力。深思熟虑地在 什么是经过验证的培训计划，我们已经做了几个增强，比如增加癌症 免疫学--我们教员的工作重点(总共25门)。UPSOM和HCC已经并将继续做出前所未有的 对癌症免疫学的投资。该培训计划利用了UPSOM的特殊优势，包括 卓越的NCI综合癌症中心，一个强大的以免疫为中心的翻译研究基地，以及 优秀的免疫学系，支撑着强大的基础研究，以及我们的研究生研究计划 (PMI)。UPSOM实施了有效的方案，以确保出色的培训，重点是增加 招聘和留住妇女和城市管理人员。我们的申请者池是特殊的，因为我们的 PMI和MSTP研究生项目，备受欢迎的临床奖学金，以及优秀的导师队伍。完毕 在过去的5年里，CITP招收了24名学员(15岁之前；9岁后)，其中13名是女性(54%)，3名是 URM(12.5%)。最后，我们的实习生非常成功地获得了校外/竞争性 奖学金(共14个[58%]：F99/K00[1]，F32[3]，F31[4]，F30[3]，Damon-Runyon[1]，St.Baldrick‘s[1]， Hartwell[1])。我们很兴奋，也渴望培养下一代癌症免疫学家。

PROJECT SUMMARY Interest in cancer immunology has never been more intense. Breakthrough observations with inhibitory receptor blockade, combined with ground breaking advances in the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cell adoptive therapies have highlighted the critical need to further basic and translation research in cancer immunology. While the pipeline of potential immunotherapeutic targets is growing, the pipeline of future cancer immunologists is limited, in part due to significant demand in industry and academia. There is a critical need for training programs that optimally prepare the next generation of cancer immunologists. Surprisingly, our Cancer Immunology Training Program (CITP) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM) is one of only six NCI-supported T32s nationwide that focus entirely on cancer immunology. This makes our program unique and essential. CITP, which has 5 pre- and 3 post-doctoral slots, is in its 20th year and we are seeking support for the next five years. The goals of the CITP are to provide graduate students, fellows and physician scientists with courses, research projects, exceptional environment and resources, and highly-qualified mentors that will allow them to: (1) make a significant contribution to one of five areas of research focus covered by this training program: (a) Inhibitory Mechanisms in the Tumor Microenvironment (TME), (b) Adaptive Immunity and Cellular Interactions within the TME, (c) Innate, Environmental and Metabolic Modulation, (d) Promoting Immune Responses to Tumors: Cell-Based Therapies & Vaccines, and (e) Systems Cancer Immunology; (2) gain a clear understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms relevant to cancer immunology; (3) obtain a practical understanding of the immunology of human cancer; (4) gain a clear conceptual understanding of all areas that impact cancer immunology; and (5) develop critical career skills and managerial ability. Building thoughtfully on what is a proven training program, we have made several enhancements, such as increasing the cancer immunology-focus of our faculty (25 total). UPSOM and HCC have and continue to make an unprecedented investment in cancer immunology. The training program exploits particular strengths at UPSOM, including an exceptional NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center, a strong immuno-centric translational research base, an outstanding Immunology Department that underpins strong basic research, and our graduate research program (PMI). UPSOM has implemented effective programs to ensure outstanding training, with emphasis on increasing the recruitment and retention of women and URMs. Our applicant pool is exceptional due to the success of our PMI and MSTP graduate programs, highly sought-after clinical fellowships, and outstanding mentor pool. Over the last 5 years, CITP has enrolled 24 trainees (Pre – 15; Post – 9), of which 13 were women (54%) and 3 were URM (12.5%). Lastly, our trainees have been extremely successful in obtaining extramural/competitive fellowships (14 total [58%]: F99/K00 [1], F32 [3], F31 [4], F30 [3], Damon-Runyon [1], St. Baldrick's [1], Hartwell [1]). We are excited and eager to train the next generation of cancer immunologists.