cancer immunotherapy Archives

Mary Philip, MD, PhD, left, and Michael Rudloff, PhD, found that T cells become “exhausted” within hours of encountering a tumor, challenging existing ideas about how T cells become dysfunctional. (photo by Anthony Czelusniak)

Study finds hallmarks of T cell exhaustion within hours of tumor exposure

Aug. 3, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers found that that T cells become “exhausted” within hours of encountering a tumor, challenging existing ideas about how T cells become dysfunctional.

Nanoparticles boost anti-cancer immunity

Aug. 16, 2022—An ingenious targeted nanoparticle approach developed by Vanderbilt researchers reduced tumor burden in a model of ovarian cancer.

Luke and Susan Simons recently made a gift to establish the Susan and Luke Simons Directorship at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Couple’s gift helps support immunotherapy research

Aug. 11, 2022—Luke and Susan Simons have endowed a new directorship that will support research so that more people can benefit from immunotherapies.

Deanna Edwards, PhD, left, Jin Chen, MD, PhD, and colleagues are studying a new therapeutic strategy for triple-negative breast cancer.

Breast cancer cells ‘steal’ nutrients from immune cells: study

Apr. 1, 2021—Triple-negative breast cancer cells engage in a “glutamine steal” — outcompeting T cells for the nutrient glutamine and impairing their ability to kill tumor cells, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

A “torque” for tumor blood vessels

Aug. 20, 2020—Vanderbilt scientists have discovered a new target for normalizing tumor blood vessels to improve cancer immunotherapies.

Potential new cancer target

Jun. 4, 2020—Vanderbilt researchers have discovered the involvement of a certain type of adenosine receptor in mediating signaling that supports tumor growth and metastasis.

Dona Potter was treated with a new immunotherapy that entails re-engineering a patient’s T cells to target cancer.

Patient’s cancer treatment includes new immunotherapy

Feb. 27, 2020—Dona Potter, 87, rode Harleys and drove 18-wheelers back when men dominated the open highways, and she is still defying expectations.

New prostate cancer treatment concept

Aug. 22, 2019—Combining immunotherapy and radiation therapy may be a powerful treatment approach for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Encephalitis identified as rare toxicity of immunotherapy treatment

Jul. 22, 2019—Researchers are chronicling rare but serious toxicities that may occur with immune checkpoint inhibitors, the most widely prescribed class of immunotherapies.

Young Kim, MD, PhD, left, Michael Korrer, PhD, and colleagues are studying a potential new cancer immunotherapy option.

Discovery points to new cancer immunotherapy option

Feb. 21, 2019—An international team involving Vanderbilt researchers has discovered that a new “checkpoint” protein on immune system cells is active in tumors, and that blocking it — in combination with other treatments — is a successful therapeutic approach in mouse models of cancer.

GE Healthcare, Vanderbilt University Medical Center partner for safer, more precise immunotherapy cancer treatment

Jan. 7, 2019—GE Healthcare and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) today announced a five-year partnership to enable safer and more precise cancer immunotherapies.