Tumor Immunology (TIM) Research Program

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Summary The mission of the Tumor Immunology Program (TIM) is to unite investigators who share a commitment to work collaboratively to advance our understanding of the relationship between cancer and the immune system, and develop innovative and effective immune-based therapeutics. The overarching goal of TIM is to elucidate the mechanisms of interactions between the immune system and cancer cells, providing the rationale for the design of more effective approaches to cancer treatment. TIM investigators operate at three levels: (i) Basic research investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the immune response to cancer, (ii) Translational research that helps transition basic findings into therapies and test these therapies in appropriate preclinical models, and (iii) Clinical research that designs and executes clinical trials testing novel immune- based cancer vaccines or innovative immunotherapies. Research is organized around 3 complementary thematic aims: Aim 1: To discover basic mechanisms regulating anti-tumor immunity and its evasion, Aim 2: To elucidate the effect of the mcirobiome on anti-tumor immunity and response to therapy, Aim 3: To develop strategies to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy.TIM is composed of 30 members, drawn from 12 departments in NYU School of Medicine and from NYU College of Dentistry. Members are currently PIs on 80 funded cancer-related projects, delivering $11.7M in annual direct costs ($2.5M NCI). During the funding period, TIM members were responsible for paradigm-shifting basic research findings in cancer immunology, and also conducted several practice-changing randomized clinical trials. TIM research led to the design of several new immune-based therapeutics, and TIM physician members accrued 689 patients to immunotherapy studies over the past 6 years. Of note, PCC is also the only institution in New York to open immuno-oncology trials at a public safety net hospital. Members also lead many innovative early phase clinical trials that emanated directly from basic science research in our laboratories. Since 2012, program members published 443 cancer-related papers, many in the leading venues in biomedical science (~25% were in journals with IF >20). The program is highly interactive, as exemplified by our 23 active multi-PI grants and collaborative publications (12% intra-programmatic/23% inter-programmatic/29% inter-NCI-CC). TIM members also filed 187 invention disclosures, signed 11 license agreements, and founded 3 immunotherapy-based start-up companies. TIM derives great benefit from being an integral part of PCC. In the current cycle, 8 TIM members received pilot funding from PCC totaling $190,000, which seeded numerous productive collaborations. These, in turn, led to novel scientific discoveries, development of innovative experimental therapeutics, successful clinical trial implementation, and NIH and foundation funding totaling more than $2.4 million dollars for a >1100% return on investment.