Dr. Cairo was recently awarded a 4-year grant from the Department of Defense.
Novel combinatorial targeted chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cell based cellular immunotherapy with adjuvant immunomodulation in patients with AML
The objecitve of this grant funded research is to enhance mission readiness by reducing the gaps in AML prognosis (dismal outcomes) and create novel targeted immune cells (natural killer) (NK) therapy and medications that enhance the immune response in patients with high-risk AML (immunomodulatory effects). We therefore anticipate that this combinatorial cellular and immunomodulatory therapy will significantly improve the health and well-being of active military service members, veterans, their beneficiaries and the general public with high-risk AML.
The objectives of this research award are: 1) To determine and maximize the expansion and targeting of human immune NK cells and test them with respect to their safety and efficacy both in the laboratory and in the animals with high-risk AML 2) To maximize the effects of these expanded and targeted NK cells against high-risk AML by the addition of immunomodulatory drugs and also determine the cause of resistance to this combinatorial immunological approach 3) to manufacture and validate clinical grade expanded and targeted NK cells from both family members and from universal donors and ultimately obtain FDA approval for a future early phase clinical trial of these expanded and targeted NK cells in patients with high-risk AML.