The Christopher Klebanoff Lab
Research
A form of cancer immunotherapy termed adoptive T cell transfer (ACT), in which a patient’s own T cells are engineered to recognize and attack cancer cells, can induce durable complete remissions in patients with advanced hematologic malignancies. By contrast, a similar approach has thus far failed to work in most patients with solid malignancies, the leading cause of adult cancer-related deaths. Two critical gaps in knowledge have limited the ability of ACT to be successfully applied to solid cancers: 1) understanding which antigens on the surface of cancer cells can be targeted by T cells that do not have the potential to cross- react with and injure normal tissues, and 2) insight into what factor(s) restrain the ability of transferred T cells to infiltrate, expand, and persist within a solid tumor mass. Using diverse techniques, including single-cell sequencing, biophysical measurements of T cell receptor (TCR) affinity, genetic engineering, and structural immunobiology, the Klebanoff laboratory seeks to address both factors currently limiting the application of ACT for advanced solid cancers.
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Christopher A. Klebanoff, MD
Associate Attending Physician; Associate Member
- Physician-scientist Christopher A. Klebanoff studies T cell immunobiology with an emphasis on adoptive T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of solid malignancies.
- MD, Emory University School of Medicine
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Members
Achievements
- NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (2013)
- NCI/Center for Cancer Research Post Doctoral Research Fellow of the Year (2011)
- AOA National Medical Honor Society (2006)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute continuing support scholarship (2004-2006)
- Merk Index Award (2000)