The goal of cancer immunotherapy is to adapt the natural components of the immune system to eradicate cancer. T cells are a type of immune cell highly evolved to detect and eradicate diseased cells. Dr. Davila is developing a novel treatment approach that involves genetic engineering of T cells as a safe and effective immunotherapy for blood cancers such as B cell lymphoma. This research has great potential because by genetically targeting T cells to a cancer, the T cell can be forced to recognize a cancer as diseased and initiate direct tumor killing, as well as activate a widespread and long-lived immune response against the cancer.
Damon Runyon Researchers
Meet Our Scientists
Marco L. Davila, MD, PhD
Project title: "The development and clinical translation of an armored CAR T cell therapy for immune-resistant B cell malignancies"
Institution: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
Award Program: Clinical Investigator
Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD and Claudio Anasetti, MD
Cancer Type: Blood
Research Area: Immunotherapy
