The
Curry Lab research focuses on the development and evaluation
of novel therapies for brain tumors. Malignant brain
tumors are often associated with a dismal prognosis,
and despite advances in surgical technique, radiation,
and chemotherapy, few patients with glioblastoma remain
alive three years after diagnosis. My principal efforts
involve the conduct of translational research in immunotherapy
for malignant brain tumors and in developing clinical
trials involving immunotherapeutic and other biologic
and cellular approaches. I am working closely with Glenn
Dranoff, MD at the Cancer Vaccine Center at the Dana
Farber Cancer Institute implementing a protocol for
cytokine-based immunotherapy for brain tumors that combines
autologous tumor cell vaccination with bystander cells
expressing granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating
factor (GM-CSF) as a stimulator of cellular and humoral
anti-tumor immunity. We are using treated patient serum
to screen tumor cDNA libraries for antigenic targets
and combining this with assays to detect helper and
cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity in patients with brain
tumors.
In
addition, the Curry Lab is collaborating with Robert
Martuza, MD and Samuel
Rabkin, PhD of the Molecular
Neurosurgery Laboratory at Massachusetts General
Hospital in studying the antitumor immunity that is
generated in mice by infection of brain tumors with
oncolytic herpes simplex virus -1. We are conducting
studies combining HSV-1 (G207) treatment of brain tumors
with intratumoral injection of dendritic cells, as well
as other adjuvants known to participate in bridging
innate and adaptive immunity.
Closely
associated with the above work is the conduct of a clinical
trial hoping to exploit the antitumor synergy between
G207 (oncolytic HSV-1) and Temozolomide (an oral alkylating
agent which has efficacy against malignant gliomas),
the basis of which is chemotherapy-related cellular
upregulation of DNA repair proteins that enhance viral
replication.
I
am also continually engaged in research involving assessment
of patient outcomes, particularly those with brain tumors.
Our current focus is on achieving representative ethnic
diversity in cancer clinical trials and understanding
ethnic variations in biological responses to therapies.
