Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a skin cancer with limited treatments and poor survival rates. Anti-PD-1 and interferon-gamma (IFNg) mono- and combination therapies have shown some efficacy for some patients with advanced CTCL, but the unique immunological consequences of giving an immune-activating drug to patients with a mature T cell-derived cancer are unknown. Here, I am applying a holistic, multi-omic, systems immunology approach to investigate the endogenous and neoplastic immune response in CTCL patients receiving either anti-PD-1 monotherapy or anti-PD-1 and IFNg combination therapy. I aim to characterize the systemic, local, and cellular responses to these therapies to better understand the successes and failures of these two clinical trials, as well as to identify predictive biomarkers of success and new therapeutic targets.
Projects and Grants
Comprehensive immune profiling of cutaneous T cell lymphoma patients undergoing mono- or combination anti-PD-1 therapy
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | Skin Cancer | 2021 | Evan Newell, PhD
