Welcome to Cancer Immunology Training
The central goal of this program is to train the next generation of scientists who will make fundamental discoveries in cancer immunology and develop novel therapeutic approaches. This also includes training the next generation of leaders in academia as well as innovative scientists who advance new therapeutic concepts in biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Trainees in cancer immunology need to acquire in depth knowledge in two disciplines, immunology and cancer research.
Immunology can only be properly understood when introduced as a functionally integrated system in which a variety of distinct populations of immune cells interact to protect the organism against infectious agents and the outgrowth of transformed cells. We believe that the next generation of cancer immunologists will require an in depth understanding of the physiology of the immune system and the diverse immune evasion mechanisms in human cancer. It is simply not sufficient to understand one population of immune cells, regardless of its importance, or one particular receptor-ligand system. The design of novel immunotherapies also requires an understanding of how manipulation of one immune cell population will impact effector and regulatory mechanisms by other cells. As an example, the cytokine GM-CSF is a powerful attractant for dendritic cells and has therefore been widely used in cancer vaccines. However, GM-CSF also promotes expansion of regulatory T cells that inhibit effector T cell responses. Addition of a CpG oligonucleotide overcomes this inhibitory role of GM-CSF, and the combination of GM-CSF and CpG induces powerful T cell mediated anti-tumor immunity. It is equally important for cancer immunologists to have a firm understanding of the complexities of human cancers. Training in both fields will enable young scientists to creatively develop novel solutions, for example at the interface of targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Immunology can only be properly understood when introduced as a functionally integrated system in which a variety of distinct populations of immune cells interact to protect the organism against infectious agents and the outgrowth of transformed cells. We believe that the next generation of cancer immunologists will require an in depth understanding of the physiology of the immune system and the diverse immune evasion mechanisms in human cancer. It is simply not sufficient to understand one population of immune cells, regardless of its importance, or one particular receptor-ligand system. The design of novel immunotherapies also requires an understanding of how manipulation of one immune cell population will impact effector and regulatory mechanisms by other cells. As an example, the cytokine GM-CSF is a powerful attractant for dendritic cells and has therefore been widely used in cancer vaccines. However, GM-CSF also promotes expansion of regulatory T cells that inhibit effector T cell responses. Addition of a CpG oligonucleotide overcomes this inhibitory role of GM-CSF, and the combination of GM-CSF and CpG induces powerful T cell mediated anti-tumor immunity. It is equally important for cancer immunologists to have a firm understanding of the complexities of human cancers. Training in both fields will enable young scientists to creatively develop novel solutions, for example at the interface of targeted therapy and immunotherapy.