Understanding and Overcoming Mechanisms of Immune Evasion after Allogeneic Transplant
Robert Soiffer
MDDana-Farber Cancer Institute
Project Term: October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2027
Outcomes for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia who relapse after transplantation are dismal. This SCOR brings together an international group of collaborators with deep expertise in genomics, epigenetics, antigen presentation, and immune-regulation. They will focus on mechanisms of immune evasion by leukemia cells, identifying effective T cell responses to those evasive processes, and providing critical insights into the optimal approaches to model new and promising targets for immunotherapy with a goal of eliminating leukemia recurrence.
Despite decades of investigation and improved understanding of biology, patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation face poor outcomes. We still do not have a complete understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of graft-versus-leukemia response or resistance. Our international team will explore the mechanisms by which the immune system evades AML and how discoveries made from interrogating patient samples and leveraging experimental models could lead to promising therapies to both prevent and treat recurrences. This proposal is highly collaborative and will comprehensively address mechanisms of immune evasion. This novel approach addresses key challenges in oncology and has the potential to bridge laboratory and clinical discovery through rapid translation to change the landscape of AML treatment.