Research in basic immunology and experimental tumor immunology has progressed over the past 50 years to a point where the discoveries made in the laboratory now provide the rationale for the clinical testing of immune-based therapies in cancer patients. This evolutionary transition from the laboratory to the clinic marks a milestone achievement for the Institute, and signals the emergence of a new era in cancer therapy.
To hasten clinical discovery while upholding the rigorous standards of scientific excellence that is its hallmark, the Cancer Research Institute conceived a novel program for clinically related research with “collaboration” as its cornerstone. In complement to the open-ended, investigator-initiated basic laboratory research supported by the Institute’s other programs, the Clinical Investigation Program has as its ultimate goal the development of effective immunotherapies for cancer.
Our clinical investigation program coordinates scientists with complementary expertise who work together on defined research paths and share their data with one another.
To accomplish this, the Institute has established a funding mechanism whereby invited scientists with complementary expertise are expected to work together on defined research paths established by the Institute and to share their data with one another. This is an ambitious effort, given the typically guarded nature of investigator-initiated research where competition for financial support is intense. However, if the monumental and historic task of bringing cancer immunotherapies into routine clinical practice is ever to be achieved, we must encourage the open collaboration of teams of scientists who can investigate these new therapies together. Through the Institute’s collaborative, goal-oriented clinical research programs, we are able to ensure that this important groundwork is carried out as efficiently and thoroughly as possible. Furthermore, with the recent addition of the Cancer Vaccine Consortium to our programs, we are able to take on a more pronounced role in facilitating the translation of discovery into clinical applications developed by the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
The Coordinated Cancer Initiatives, the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative, and the Cancer Vaccine Consortium comprise the Institute’s Clinical Investigation Program.
- Coordinated Cancer Initiatives (CCI)
Through this strategic funding program, CRI identifies scientific experts from various disciplines and mobilizes them to work cooperatively on defined tasks toward common goals. CCI researchers are currently seeking to develop new immune-based tools to diagnose and treat ovarian and pediatric cancers, to explore the clinical impact of T-cell infiltrates at tumor sites, and to understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind the remarkable cancer immunity of spontaneous remission/cancer-resistant mice. Learn more about the Coordinated Cancer Initiatives.
- Cancer Vaccine Collaborative (CVC)
Created in partnership with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the CVC is an innovative network of coordinated early-phase cancer vaccine trials at hospitals and medical centers around the world. These multiple, yet parallel trials — which use defined antigens, standardized treatment protocols, uniform monitoring methodologies, and centralized data collection — are providing comparable results that will teach us how to effectively immunize against cancer. Applications for the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative are by invitation only. Learn more about the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative.
- Cancer Vaccine Consortium
Formerly a program of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Cancer Research Institute Cancer Vaccine Consortium (CVC) is the leading initiative on cancer vaccine and immunotherapy discovery and development. Its mission is to improve patient care by making cancer vaccines part of the standard-of-care in oncology. CVC members include many of the world's most innovative pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic institutions. Through collaboration, interaction, and community consensus building, and by working closely with members of the CRI/LICR Cancer Vaccine Collaborative, this effort establishes a unified voice in the cancer vaccine field and provides a major new resource to academia, industry, and governmental agencies involved in cancer vaccine discovery and development.
In addition to these programs, CRI continued to provide support for a number of clinical investigation grants that were awarded in previous fiscal years. Click here to see a list of those grants.