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Principal Investigator: Christian Jobin
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Fiscal Year: 2023
Award: $77,848
Funding agency: National Cancer Institute
CANCER THERAPEUTICS AND HOST RESPONSE (CTHR) PROGRAM: ABSTRACT
The University of Florida Health Cancer Center (UFHCC) CTHR program integrates investigators with expertise
in microbiome, immunology, cancer biology, bioengineering, medicinal chemistry, and clinical trial development
to advance cancer treatment. CTHR is led by Sayour, an expert in immuno-oncology, and Jobin, an authority
on microbiome and cancer. CTHR is comprised of 62 members from 19 departments in 7 colleges, including 19
members recruited since 2016. CTHR members support the scientific aims to 1) define cancer immunobiology
and develop novel immunotherapies; 2) elucidate microbiome function in cancer development and therapeutics;
3) identify new targeted therapies engaging key cancer pathways; and, 4) translate discoveries to new clinical
trials. Key progress from the program included i) investments in cGMP facilities enabled pan-cancer platforms
for multiple novel immunotherapies; ii) initiation of a first-in-human mRNA-nanoparticle vaccine trial
(NCT04573140); iii) FDA IND approval for an innovative CAR-T against CD70+ malignancies; iv) novel finding
that microbiome from immunotherapeutic-responsive non-small cell lung cancer patients confers responsiveness
in preclinical lung models; and, v) discovery and development of new therapeutic compounds including complex
cytotoxic molecules from sea life and rationally designed PROTACs against BCL-XL, now in a phase I clinical
trial. The program translates basic discoveries to the clinic through the IIT Think Tank. CTHR has a peer-
reviewed funding base of >$9.1M/yr in direct costs (up 23% since 2019), representing 72 peer-reviewed projects,
of which 27 are from NCI ($3.2M direct costs), including 13 MPI awards. Since 2016, CTHR members generated
1,276 cancer-relevant publications, 24% with impact factors >10, of which 38% are intra-programmatic, 32%
inter-programmatic, and 67% multi-institutional. The percent of clinicians publishing collaboratively with basic or
population scientists nearly doubled to 59%. CTHR members had 39 new patents awarded. Since 2016, CTHR
launched 41 institutional interventional trials, including 39 treatment trials. Between 2016 and 2021, 15 research
findings from UFHCC members were translated into clinical trials (13 at UF) through laboratory scientist/clinical
investigator collaborations. Since 2016, CTHR clinical investigators enrolled 1,199 patients on treatment trials,
and in 2021 enrolled 174 of the 299 patients on UFHCC treatment trials. To accelerate clinical research, since
2019, UFHCC recruited 8 clinical investigators to CTHR with protected time and resources to develop IITs. CTHR
mentors trained 194 graduate students and 92 postdoctoral trainees, of whom 44% were women; ~10%
underrepresented minorities (URM). There were 25 trainees (12 women; 5 URMs) supported by NIH training
grants. CTHR leadership and members are committed to the plan to enhance diversity through recruitment in
partnership with the Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Future plans, aligned with the UFHCC
strategic plan, include recruitment in translational immunology, microbiome and carcinogenesis, P01 grants (e.g.,
brain, microbiome, lung), and targeted recruitment of clinical investigators (e.g., women's, lung, blood).
Terms: <Acceleration><Address><Advanced Cancer><Advanced Malignant Neoplasm><Affect><Anti-Cancer Agents><Antineoplastic Agents><Antineoplastic Drugs><Antineoplastics><Authorization><Authorization documentation><Award><B-cell lymphoma-extra large><BCL-XL><BCL2-Like 1><BCL2-Related Gene><BCL2-Related Protein, Long Isoform><BCL2-Related Protein, Short Isoform><BCL2L1><BCL2L1 gene><BCLX><BCLXL><BCLXS><Bacteria><Basic Research><Basic Science><Biomedical Engineering><Blood><Blood Precursor Cell><Blood Reticuloendothelial System><Brain><Brain Cancer><Brain Nervous System><CAR T cells><CAR modified T cells><CAR-T><CAR-Ts><CCSG><Cancer Biology><Cancer Center><Cancer Center Support Grant><Cancer Drug><Cancer Induction><Cancer Patient><Cancer Treatment><Cancers><Cell Body><Cell Function><Cell Process><Cell physiology><Cells><Cellular Function><Cellular Physiology><Cellular Process><Clinic><Clinical><Clinical Evaluation><Clinical Investigator><Clinical Research><Clinical Study><Clinical Testing><Clinical Trials><Clinical Trials Design><Collaborations><Colon or Rectum><Colorectal><Combined Modality Therapy><Complex><Cyclic GMP><Development><Direct Costs><Disease><Disorder><Drug Interactions><Early-Stage Clinical Trials><Encephalon><Enrollment><Epithelium><Florida><Foundations><Funding><Future><Genotoxins><Grant><Guanosine Cyclic Monophosphate><HDAC><HDAC Proteins><Health><Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells><Hematopoietic stem cells><Histone Deacetylase><Immune><Immune Evasion><Immune mediated therapy><Immune response><Immune system><Immunes><Immunobiology><Immunological response><Immunologically Directed Therapy><Immunology><Immunooncology><Immunophysiology><Immunosuppression><Immunosuppression Effect><Immunosuppressive Effect><Immunotherapeutic agent><Immunotherapy><Infection><Inflammation><Infrastructure><Institution><Intervention><Intervention Strategies><Intervention Trial><Interventional trial><Investigators><Investments><Laboratory Scientists><Leadership><Legal patent><Life><Lung><Lung Respiratory System><Malignant Neoplasm Therapy><Malignant Neoplasm Treatment><Malignant Neoplasms><Malignant Tumor><Malignant Tumor of the Brain><Malignant Tumor of the Lung><Malignant neoplasm of brain><Malignant neoplasm of lung><Mediating><Medicinal Chemistry><Medicine><Mentors><Messenger RNA><Microbe><Modality><Modeling><Multimodal Therapy><Multimodal Treatment><Mutagens><NIH><NSCLC><NSCLC - Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer><National Institutes of Health><Natural Products><Neoplastic Disease Chemotherapeutic Agents><Non-Polyadenylated RNA><Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer><Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma><Nonsmall Cell Lung Carcinoma><Patents><Pathway interactions><Patients><Peer Review><Permission><Pharmaceutic Chemistry><Pharmaceutical Chemistry><Phase 1 Clinical Trials><Phase I Clinical Trials><Population><Postdoc><Postdoctoral Fellow><Preparation><Process><Production><Property><Publications><Publishing><Pulmonary Cancer><Pulmonary malignant Neoplasm><RNA><RNA Gene Products><RNA vaccine><RNA-based vaccine><Refractory><Research><Research Associate><Research Personnel><Research Resources><Researchers><Resources><Ribonucleic Acid><STAT3><STAT3 gene><Scientific Publication><Scientist><Sea><Strategic Planning><Structure><Subcellular Process><T cells for CAR><Therapeutic><Therapeutic Research><Time><Training><Translating><Translations><Tumor Cell><Tumor Immunity><Tumor-Specific Treatment Agents><Underrepresented Ethnic Minority><Underrepresented Minority><United States National Institutes of Health><Universities><Vaccines><Woman><Work><amateur science><amateur scientists><anti-cancer drug><anti-cancer therapy><anti-tumor immunity><anticancer agent><anticancer drug><anticancer therapy><antitumor immunity><authority><base><bases><bio-engineered><bio-engineers><biobank><bioengineering><biological engineering><biomedical referral center><biorepository><blood stem cell><cGMP><cancer immunity><cancer immunobiology><cancer progression><cancer therapy><cancer-directed therapy><carcinogenesis><chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells><chimeric antigen receptor T cells><chimeric antigen receptor fusion protein T-cells><chimeric antigen receptor modified T cells><citizen science><citizen scientists><civic science><clinical candidate><clinical development><clinical test><clinical trial protocol><college><collegiate><colo-rectal><colorectum><combination therapy><combined modality treatment><combined treatment><crowd science><crowd-sourced science><customized therapy><customized treatment><cytotoxic><design><designing><developmental><diversity, equity, and inclusiveness><drug metabolism><early clinical trial><early phase clinical trial><enroll><equity, diversity, and inclusion><first in man><first-in-human><frontier><genotoxic agent><graduate student><hematopoietic progenitor><hematopoietic stem progenitor cell><hemopoietic progenitor><hemopoietic stem cell><host response><human study><immune drugs><immune evasive><immune suppression><immune suppressive activity><immune suppressive function><immune system response><immune therapeutic approach><immune therapeutic interventions><immune therapeutic regimens><immune therapeutic strategy><immune therapy><immune-based therapeutics><immune-based therapies><immune-based treatments><immune-oncology><immuno oncology><immuno therapy><immunologic therapeutics><immunology oncology><immunoresponse><immunosuppressive activity><immunosuppressive function><immunosuppressive response><immunotherapeutics><immunotherapy agent><individualized medicine><individualized patient treatment><individualized therapeutic strategy><individualized therapy><individualized treatment><inhibitor><innovate><innovation><innovative><interventional strategy><leukemia><lung cancer><mRNA><mRNA vaccine><mRNA-based vaccine><malignancy><meeting><meetings><member><metabolism measurement><metabolomics><metabonomics><microbial><microbiome><microorganism><multi-modal therapy><multi-modal treatment><nano particle><nano-sized particle><nanoparticle><nanosized particle><naturally occurring product><neoplasm progression><neoplasm/cancer><neoplastic cell><neoplastic progression><new combination therapies><new drug target><new drug treatments><new druggable target><new drugs><new pharmacological therapeutic><new pharmacotherapy target><new therapeutic target><new therapeutics><new therapy><new therapy target><next generation therapeutics><novel><novel drug target><novel drug treatments><novel druggable target><novel drugs><novel pharmaco-therapeutic><novel pharmacological therapeutic><novel pharmacotherapy target><novel therapeutic target><novel therapeutics><novel therapy><novel therapy target><oncoimmunology><pathway><patient centered><patient oriented><patient population><patient specific therapies><patient specific treatment><phase I protocol><post-doc><post-doctoral><post-doctoral trainee><pre-clinical><preclinical><preparations><programs><protocol 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