Cancer Vaccine Center

Study Reveals "Missing Link" in Immune Response to Disease. Investigators Sun Taek Kim, Ellis L. Reinherz et al. describe how T cell receptors can identify and destroy diseased cells. View PDF

In a recent publication, Ellis L Reinherz et al. described highly regulated plexinD1 expression on CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes. PlexinD1 expression was further affected by the engagement of T cell receptor complex. Activation of plexinD1 via the ligand, semaphorin 3E, repressed CCL25 chemokine signaling via its receptor CCR9 in CD69+ thymocytes. In the absence of plexinD1, CD69+ thymocytes remained in the cortex, maturing to form ectopic single positive (SP) thymocyte clusters in Plxnd1-deficient fetal liver cell-transplanted mice. As a consequence, the boundary between DP and SP thymocytes at corticomedullary junctions was disrupted and medullary structures formed under the thymic capsule. These results demonstrate the importance of plexinD1 in directing migration of maturing thymocytes via modulation of biological responses to chemokine gradients. View PDF

Recent research findings delineated pleiotropic roles for MFG-E8 in the tumor microenvironment and raise the possibility that systemic MFG-E8 blockade might prove therapeutic for melanoma patients. Details may be found in the following paper:
Milk fat globule EGF-8 promotes melanoma progression through coordinated Akt and twist signaling in the tumor microenvironment. Jinushi M, Nakazaki Y, Carrasco DR, Draganov D, Souders N, Johnson M, Mihm MC, Dranoff G. Cancer Res. 2008 Nov 1;68(21):8889-98. View PDF

ASBMT Best Abstract Award for Basic Science. 2008 BMT Tandem Meetings, February 13-17, 2008, San Diego, CA; Ofran Y, Brusic V, Soiffer RJ, Antin JH, J. Ritz J. (2008).
Identification of human minor histocompatibilty antigens (mHA) by
combining bioinformatic prediction of peptide epitopes with validation
of T cell reactivity in patient blood samples after allogeneic
hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Biology of Blood and Marrow
Transplantation, 14(2), Supplement 1, 1. View PDF

Distinguished thesis award won by research fellow in Bioinformatics, Dr. Songsak Tongchusak, Ph.D., from Mahidol University in Thailand View Web Site

Dr. Vladimir Brusic, Ph. D., MBA, appointed Adjunct Professor, Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University

Important Implications for Structure Guided Vaccine Design: HIV-1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Extracts Its Epitope from a Kinked gp41 Ectodomain Region on the Viral Membrane View PDF

Carving a Career in Translational Research: An Influx of public and private funding is invigorating a field that challenges some traditional notions of science View PDF

CVC Website Launch View Web Site

Article in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests new therapeutic strategies for modulation of immune response to cancer vaccines that may improve efficacy of T cell response. View Web Site

Bancroft Trust fuels two revolutionary DFCI endeavors. View PDF

Cancer Vaccine Fact Sheet. View Web Site

Cancer Vaccine Center brings together faculty, technology to promote the study of the human body's natural defenses. View Web Site

Cancer Vaccine Center Opens at at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to seize the moment in scientific research. View Web Site