Overview
The Tumor Immunotherapy Program of Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is interested in the development of recombinant poxvirus as vaccines for the treatment of cancer.
We have established a translational research group comprised of clinical and laboratory investigators studying tumor vaccines.
Our aim is to develop new vaccines in the laboratory, evaluate them in mouse models, and to rapidly bring them to the clinic.
Our clinical protocols encompass investigator-initiated, industry, and cooperative group sponsored tumor vaccine trials.
We also have extensive experience in Phase I clinical trials and high-dose IL-2 therapy.
Current research projects involve basic virology using recombinant technology to construct poxvirus vectors, in vitro T-cell assays to determine the effects of the vaccine on T-cell function, in vivo experiments using a novel transgenic mouse model of colorectal cancer to evaluate the effectiveness of new vaccines, and immune monitoring studies of patients enrolled in tumor vaccine clinical trials.
Approved uses of cytokines in cancer therapy include:
- High-dose IL-2 for malignant melanoma
- 20% overall RR, but durable
- High-dose IL-2 for renal cell carcinoma
- 20-25% overall RR, but durable
- Interferon-alpha for high-risk melanoma
- 27% survival advantage
Other cytokines in development include:
*FDA approved
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