Albert Einstein Cancer Center

Program Leader: Matthew Scharff
Co-Program Leader: Ari Melnick

The goals of the Immuno-oncology program are: 1) To determine how defects in the targeting of the genomic instability of immunoglobulin genes required for the generation of antibody diversity lead to the mutations and translocations that cause B cell lymphomas and to search for ways to prevent such errors. One objective is to develop therapeutics targeted specifically to molecularly distinct B-cell lymphoma variants. 2) To better understand how antigen is presented to T cells and how to manipulate that process to increase the immunogenicity of tumors and cancer vaccines. 3) To develop and apply new immune therapies with a focus on radio-immunotherapy and vaccines to viral-induced tumors. Translational accomplishments include the development of a anti-melanin-mAb-radionuclide therapeutic, which emerged from studies on fungal melanin, that will enter clinical trials in 2007.