The mission of the Laboratory of Molecular Therapeutics is to devise new treatments for cancer based on the unique properties of cancer cells. Over the last ten years a great deal of research has been done to improve our understanding of the genetics of cancer cells and the immunologic response to this disease. The focus of our laboratory is to create new treatments aimed at the earliest stages of cancer when therapy should have the greatest impact. We have two active research programs in our laboratory. The first project is aimed at exploring the steps used by the human immune system to recognize cancer growth.
Dendritic cells are a type of inflammatory cell used to arm the immune system against invasion.
These cells act as sentries to alert other inflammatory cells to action. Our laboratory is examining the mechanisms of the interaction between the dendritic cells and cancer, and methods to reactivate these cells to arm the immune system. This project is supported by a grant from the California Cancer Research Project. The second project is aimed at developing targets for immune system activation. A great deal of progress has been made in the last few years as scientists have identified unique markers on the surface of cancer cells that allow the immune system to attack.